Dracolich

More than a powerful form of undead, a dracolich was a dragon who had voluntarily tied its soul to a phylactery, freeing itself from death. A type of lich, the creature's spirit could possess any dead reptilian body, usually their original form, and retained all the powers and abilities of the former body. That meant a dracolich had the supernatural fear aura, spells, and breath weapon it had in life, plus the terrible might of the undead.

"...Stripped of life, of hunger, of the needs of the flesh, an undead dragon is simply evil incarnate."

- Jothan Ironspell

Powers
A dracolich had the strange ability to inhabit the body of any reptilian corpse upon death, though they were at their most powerful when inhabiting the corpse of a dragon. When killed in its corporeal body, the dracolich didn't "die". Instead, its spirit fled and hid in the phylactery, awaiting another suitable body to animate and inhabit. Like other types of lich, a dracolich was only truly annihilated when its phylactery was destroyed.

History
The process of becoming a dracolich was discovered by Sammaster the Mad, a fallen Chosen of Mystra, who was inspired after re-translating Chronicle of Years to Come by the prophet Maglas. He was convinced that Toril would suffer a great apocalypse and "naught will be left save shattered thrones with no rulers. But the dead dragons shall rule the world entire..." Sammaster's first success was with the great red wyrm Shargrailar the Dark in the Year of Queen's Tears, 902 DR. Since then, Sammaster and his followers, the Cult of the Dragon, created many more, preparing for the apocalypse they "know" will come."

Notable Dracoliches

 * Aghazstamn
 * Alasklerbanbastos
 * Alglaudyx
 * Aurgloroasa
 * Calathanorgoth
 * Cypress
 * Daurgothoth
 * Dretchroyaster
 * Ebondeath
 * Hephaestus
 * Iltharaph
 * Kistarianth
 * Malygris
 * Melauthaur
 * Pelendralaar
 * Rauglothgor
 * Sapphiraktar the Blue
 * Saurglyce
 * Shargrailar
 * Shhuusshuru
 * Urshula
 * Vix'thra
 * Xavarathimius
 * Zikzokrisha

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Dark and Hidden Ways • Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor
 * Hellgate
 * Novels:
 * The Veiled Dragon • Spellfire • Promise of the Witch-King
 * Comics:
 * Shackles of the Past
 * Video Games:
 * Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor • Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights: Tyrants of the Moonsea
 * Board Games:
 * Dungeon Command: Curse of Undeath • Battle for Faerûn
 * Card Games:
 * AD&D Trading Cards • Spellfire: Master the Magic
 * AD&D Trading Cards • Spellfire: Master the Magic

Connections
Drachenleichname