Dracolich
The dracolich is an undead creature resulting from the transformation of an evil dragon. The process usually involves a cooperative effort between an evil dragon and a powerful cleric, sorcerer, or wizard, but especially powerful spellcasters have been known to coerce an evil dragon to undergo the transformation against its will.
The dragon must first consume a lethal concoction known as a dracolich brew. This act instantly slays the dragon, whereupon its spirit is transferred to its dracolich phylactery, regardless of the distance between the phylactery and the dragon’s body.
A spirit contained in a phylactery can sense any reptilian or dragon corpse of Medium or larger size within 90 feet and attempt to possess it. Under no circumstances can the spirit possess a living body. The spirit’s original body is an ideal vessel, and any attempt to possess it is automatically successful. To possess a suitable corpse other than its own, a dracolich must make a successful Charisma check (DC 10 for a true dragon DC 15 for any other creature of the dragon type, or DC 20 for any other kind of reptilian creature, such as a giant snake or lizardfolk). If the check fails, the dracolich can never possess that particular corpse.
If the corpse accepts the spirit, the corpse becomes animated. If the animated corpse is the spirit’s former body, it immediately becomes a dracolich. Otherwise, it becomes a proto-dracolich (see below).
A dracolich appears as a skeletal or semiskeletal version of its former self, with glowing points of light in its shadowy eye sockets.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
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