Lich -- Boss #7
The first of the Four Fiends. Lich guards the Earth Crystal on the deepest floor of the Cavern of Earth. You need the Earth Rod from the sage Sarda to reach him-it breaks through a sealed door on B3. He is undead and weak to Fire and Dia, but his 1,200 HP and party-wide Blizzara spell make this the hardest fight in the game so far. Cast NulFrost before anything else.
Lich Stats
HP
1200
Attack
40
Defense
40
Magic Defense
120
Weakness
Fire, Dia
Resistance
Ice, Earth
Strategy
Lich's spell rotation includes Blizzara (hits the full party), Fira, Thundara, and Sleep. Blizzara is the primary threat-NulFrost on turn one cuts that damage in half and is the difference between surviving the fight and getting wiped early. Turn 1-White Mage: NulFrost before anything else. No exceptions. Black Mage: Firaga every turn. Fire is his primary weakness and your biggest damage source. Do not waste turns on anything else. White Mage (after NulFrost): Alternate between Diaga and Curaga. Diaga deals bonus damage against undead. Curaga when anyone drops below 100 HP. Physical attackers: Buff your Warrior with Haste and Temper first, then attack every turn. At level 20, a Hasted Warrior with Temper stacked deals solid supplemental damage alongside your spellcasting. If Sleep lands on your White Mage, use a Potion from another party member's turn while you wait for the effect to wear off. Do not let the party go unhealed for more than one round. The fight runs 5 to 8 rounds with this approach.
Quick Tips
- • NulFrost first. Always. Blizzara hits the whole party and stacks fast without the mitigation.
- • Firaga and Diaga both hit for double-ish damage due to his undead Fire/Dia weakness. Those two spells do more work than your physical attacks.
- • Keep HP above 100 on your mages at all times. Lich's physical hits are lighter than his spells, but his 40 Attack still threatens low-HP characters.
- • Save Dry Ethers for after this fight. You will want MP for the Mount Gulg run ahead.
Turn-by-Turn Guide
- 1. Turn 1: White Mage casts NulFrost (critical)
- 2. Black Mage begins Firaga spam every turn
- 3. Buff Warrior with Haste and Temper
- 4. Physical attackers attack every turn
- 5. White Mage alternates Diaga and Curaga
- 6. Keep HP above 100 on mages
- 7. If Sleep lands, use Potion to wait it out
- 8. Fight ends in 5-8 rounds
Rewards
The Earth Crystal's light is restored and a portal appears behind it. Step through to warp out of the dungeon immediately. Rest at Melmond, save, and restock. Next stop is Crescent Lake to the east. The sages there will point you toward Mount Gulg and the Fire Fiend, Marilith. Marilith is a significant jump in difficulty from Lich-six physical attacks per turn with no elemental weakness. Get your party to level 25 to 28 before entering Mount Gulg and make sure you have NulBlaze, Protera, and Invisira memorized.