if they do add the lich i hope it looks something like my profile picture (for a better look, GOOGLE phylactery lich, it's a magic card)

i hope they dont even add vamps in the game anymore all these people argueing that its better and this and that, i am completely bored of the same old generic ugly pink eye vamps, and want a new choice of creature to become, and yeah i support the lycan idea, that would be sweet but, i probably would only roleplay it once or twice, since i tend to favor the dark sorcerer types and becoming a werewolf doesnt interest me as much as a lich would, i mean do you know of any vampiric necromancers? have you heard of master sorcerer that changes every night into a werewolf? maybe, but i dont think that suits the evil mage types at all, that would suit bloodthirsty barbarians and assassins, but not mage's or necromancers, and i really dont see why everyone has to fight me and my friends about the subject, bethesda can put all three of the alternate races in the game, and nobody's putting a gun to your head and saying choose the lich, choose it or don't. dont try and ruin all hope that me and many of my friends have for the new game just cause a certain few players think its a bad idea, maybe we think being a ugly albino that bursts into flames from the sun is a stupid idea, and maybe some people like being albino with a bad case of pink eye, but if i had to choose id pick the powerful undead sorcerer, that possess's immense knowledge of the dark arts, arcane magic, and necromancy, yeah i look skeletal and i like the way i look, even if you don't go svck a banana.
EDIT: i mean just look at my profile pic, to a lot of dark roleplayers, doesnt something like that just appeal to you? i think my lich looks almost exactly what id want my player in skyrim to look like near the end, SO ALL YOU HATERS STOP HATING ON MY LICH

Liches are cool. My favorite is probably the lich from the Ravenloft setting known as Azalin.

It would be a nice sidequest akin to the vampire quests from Oblivion, but it would need to be done properly.

agreed, but i dont think im familiar with the one you speak of? enlighten me

Unrestrictive immortality is a great power.

You know, I'm far too tired of people asking for "evil looking" stuff. "Look, I'm Dovahkiin, the champion of humanity, and I'm a wicked lich". How much sense. It's not the same with vampirism and lycanthropy, that are actually diseases.

It's just stupid. If you want your eyes glowing dark and your flesh lifeless, go to play Fable. But this is TES.

It would be cool if they are powered up like a werewolf or vampire, but not any more. Also there should be a way to rehumanify yourself. Like at Meridia's shrine in homage to Morrowind's Molag Bal quest.

Plus it would complete the power trio
Lycanthropy - Power
Vamperism - Stealth
Lich - Magic

I can't see how "It's just stupid", TES has always been a game wear you can be who or what ever you want. You don't have to follow the MQ. Do you think the CoC could also be the head of the Dark Brotherhood? Maybe, but not likely. Now can a lich help push back the arrival of dragons? Why not? Liches aren't all evil.

That makes me think of the Draugr that lived at the bottom of the lake in Bloodmoon. He made himself undead so he could forever defend his people against the hordes of Dire Frost Atronauchs that were trying to kill the Skaal. People hated him for it and thought he was the one trying to destroy Solsthiem Plus Nords don't much care for Necromancy and it wouldn't be a deterrent for the main quest, just a way to get kicked out of towns and cities, like vamperism or lycanthropy.

yeah thank you ya know if i want to be a lich i should have that choice, if i want to save the world and be a part of this big cliche thats my choice i think the more choices and variety the better and less generic and i just so happen to love roleplaying evil and if so undead sorcerers its what ive always loved hell the choice of being able to do that was what got me into the game in the first place so long ago it separated itself from anyother game i have everplayed and that is wahat made it so amazing the ability to dress how i wanted and name class race spells and school type

I see your point, but the leadership of the guilds, or even the werewof's and vampires's disease, were something that kept you being a... person when you wanted to do the MQ. A major change, like becoming a dreadful creature, would be VERY different. I don't think people in the game would like you being a Lich.

they wouldnt know so long as you fooled them with the conceal nature spell liches can be masters of deception like vamps except their power comes from magic

Ok. So what you want is a COMPLETELY different game mechanics for role-playing a Lich. With vampires it wasn't like that, they only look like monster when they were starving (there are examples of vampires living peacefully in society, being the biggest paradigm the Count of Skingrad), and in Bloodmoon you only become a werewolf at certain times, so the game didn't have to do anything to fit everything when you are one of them. But with a Lich it would be different, becuase you are a Lich all the time... and that's a very particular thing that it's very likely to collide with the MQ.. and everything. Listen, I understand that you like Liches, and you want to play one, but... what if I want to play a Tsaesci, for example? Or a rebel dremora, or have the chance to become the Emperor? These, that I'm sure several people would like (not being myself one of them, but I have seen things like that supported around the internet), are like yours very personal and big request, and that, as this poll suggest, wouldn't like to everybody... You must understand that making a request like yours fit in the game would entail a MQ that fits with it, and a gane with a good history can't allow you be whatever you want, specially when, like in this case, you are the central part of the plot. I'm sure there will be wonderful mods to become a Lich, but it isn't something that should be in the game.

About the freedom you talk about. don't misunderstand me: I love freedom, and I am very excited with some of the new features mentioned in the magazine (like woodcutting, mining...). The strange thing is that people are never satisfied: the more they give us, the more people complain because Bethesda hasn't included a thing that for them was a MUST. The unlimited freedom that some people ask for is something that will NEVER be done in a videogame. And a videogame with unlimited freedom would be crap, because it would't have a plot. A videogame must have some restrictions: imagine that in Morrowind I could sympathise with Dagoth Ur (WTF?), or that in Metal Gear Solid I could help Liquid... some thing. A game is and will always be a game.

The only reason vampires were like that in Oblivion was because that is what a Cyrodilic vampire is, Skyrim has freaky ones that live under ice and are much more fearsome. In Morrowind being a vampire was an instant KOS for guards and most except the Telvanni and Mages Guild. Having a similar set up in a land where no one really cares for necromancy as long as they aren't hurting anyone it doesn't seem imposable. If they add it you don't have to become a lich and you don't have to be angry at people for wanting it. If they don't add it then it won't really anger people, but people just want to say that they want to be a lich. If enough people want it who should stop Bethesda from taking a couple of people and coding it in. We really don't know how the company works and shouldn't think of limitations of them. If they can't they can't, but if they can I at least want them to know that people want it. Also, I don't see how it is any ones right to just say it is outright stupid and completely unnecessary. So what if it makes every one want to kill you, some people play evil characters that kill everyone regardless. If they add it they might even have ways to do quests, or later remove it. You have every right not to want it, but don't say nobody has the right to have it because you don't want it.

you know i somewhat see your point, but i still think it should be in the game, and there are ways for it to implemented in the game,for instance have the option to embark on your unholy quest after completion of the main quest and completion of the new mages guild or necromancers, i dont see any unbalance from these three races, they should have them all, lycan incredibly fearsome mindless savage beasts that you turn into could kill someone and go on a bloodbath, then by morning transform back, vampire, (ugly pink-eye) become a type of undead that robs living lives for the rejuvenation of their beauty, and vitality, possibly killing tens of thousands, in a eternity, perhaps more, and the lich, an undead sorcerer, that has prolongued there own likfe using necromancy, skeletal and horrid in appearance and yet not entirely evil, does not require sustinence and can blend into society using magic spells to conceal themselves, so you see all three are balanced and lets not forget the types of characters they can suit , lycan, mainly strength, vampire, mainly stealth and strength and lich all magical and some strength, so it would all fit and each type of character could get the monster version of their class if they choose to why not? it would fit wouldnt it just vamps for assassin kind of characters, lycan for warriors and barbarian styles and what everyone forgot about the magic guys? thats unfair they must add it.

thank you very much for your post, i get so mad when people crap all over my idea, and say oh lets be the vampire. it s on every single game and its time to try something new i mean the way i have it envisioned is just swapping your body for a skeleton one exept tweak it so you can wear robes and hoods and armor i mean wouldnt that look badass? i sure think so and it would be ten times easier than adding all the animation for a lycan cause it is already in the game just switching it around. imean theres no reason why it couldnt work, when i played oblivion and you had to assassinate celedaen the necro-mage for the db quest i was like they have to make this a reality, each race is balanced in their own way and have consequences and advantages.

I'm a lot of things, but a necrophiliac isn't one of them. Nor am I a child. If you don't want to play one, don't. And liches don't need to slaughter entire towns. Vampires need to feed, liches do not. Also, it's been stated it would complete the trio. You're not acting very mature telling us lich-fans that we're necropheliacs or children because our opinion differs. That's like saying being able to daedric quests is evil and the only people who like it are evil people or little kids.

Just live and let live, bud. You may not like liches, but there are thousands of other TES fans...some want to be liches, so they're all immature or necropheliacs? Sorry, but I disagree.

Chose maybe.

Each game has a 'turn you into a ....' type of scenario. Werewolf in morrowind, vampire in OB (i forget but maybe morrowind too). I don't really care about being a lich per se, but they need to pick something to become. I think we should turn into a yeti, or the big white thing from that old Rudolph the red nosed reindeer cartoon (ya know, the half puppet weird one).

Perhaps something a little more inclined to a northern climate. I know nothing of Skyrim lore. Maybe lichs are everywhere. I think we should turn into Canadians or Russians Then we would smash everything!

NO NO NO NO NO NO AND NO!

I have explained this already, and what you put up there is rubbish. Sure, liches would predominately be magic users (well, only), but vamps and lycans are not those. If you had even played Bloodmoon, you should know that werewolves were very sneaky AND high damaging fighters, that can tear shields and armor like tissue paper. But, you have to remember, the greatest power a werewolf had was its ability sneak up behind someone, and completely wreck them. Of course, they could also go toe to toe in a fight (should sneaking fail) and is able to use speed and strength to completely mangle someone. However, werewolves cannot cast any spells at all, and they cannot loot stuff from bodies, and MUST kill a humanoid every time they transform (unless done with the Hircine's ring, and the hunger is repressed with the ring in Daggerfall). To sum up, werewolves are extremely quick, have extremely high damage, can shred armor to nothing quickly, and are great sneakers, despite not being able to even ready a spell. Not to mention that werebears make their home in Skyrim, I can expect them to have the damage output of werewolves, but trade speed and stealth for health and defense.

Vampires, on the other hand, run a gambit of power. While all vampires do gain more strength, speed, and better sneaking abilities in general, different clans also gain more bonuses elsewhere. Look at the list in Daggerfall and Morrowind to see what I am talking about. There are clans that are more about martial prowess, others that boast excellent abilities to heal, some become more magically gifted, and others have their stealth abilities even further enhanced. The Cyrodiil clan is special, in that they bargained with Clavacus Vile to be able to hide in plain sight, as long as they feed regularly (other clans are perma-monsters). To sum, vampires run a gambit of power and abilities than just sneaking.

Look guys, things were becoming a bit heated in this thread and getting a bit personal. Now after I have had to delete some posts you can either get back to constructive and civil discussion or ....... well lets say you don't want to incur the wrath of a moderator. OK?

yeah well this is not bloodmoon, and that was old game this is a new one bethesda has already made major game changes, so

Definitely not - and it definitely won't in the game.

Why can't it be in game?

well if thats the case they will be letting down thousands of gamers and if they want to ruin the game with all these new non rpg-like features then so be it, it just means my wallet isn't shrinking on 11.11.11. and i will just keep playing modded oblivion cause thats the best rpg period.

Yet, werewolves (and boars) were more or less the same with Bloodmoon's (awesome sneakers and high damagers). Not to mention that Oblivion did not have any werewolves, all we have to base werewolves are on what the past games did.