Dracolich
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, a dracolich is an undead
dragon
that possesses certain abilities of a lich
.
campaign setting
.
#110 (June 1986), and then in the Forgotten Realms
accessory Waterdeep and the North (1987).
(1989). The dracolich as a creature was reintroduced in the first Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989), and then appeared in the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993).
The dracolich also appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
The dracolich later appeared again in the Forgotten Realms product, Cult of the Dragon (1998).
(2003), including the ancient blue dracolich as a sample creature
The dracolich was detailed in Dragon #344 (June 2006), in the "Ecology of the Dracolich".
Despite its wretched appearance, a dracolich is a very powerful opponent with a correspondingly high challenge rating, due in part to the minions and weapons they tend to possess. Evil chromatic dragons like black, blue and red dragons usually become dracoliches, because of the evil magic involved in their creation; however, rumors spread about other kinds of dragons submitting to the process as well.
Dracoliches are created from evil dragons through powerful necromantic magics. Essentially, it involves the dragon dying and then taking over its own corpse. It also gains a vessel called a phylactery
, or soul jar, in which its spirit is stored. The soul continues to exist even after the destruction of the body, and can only be killed by the destruction of the phylactery itself.
campaign setting
for Dungeons and Dragons, an organization known as the Cult of the Dragon
is responsible for inventing the method of the dracolich creation. The organization has also created several other undead dragon varieties, as well as other dragon-like monsters including the dracimera (a dragon-chimera
) and the mantidrake (a dragon-manticore
).
Ed Greenwood
's novel Spellfire
features several dracoliches, and depicts one on the cover.
In the "Sellswords" series of books, Jarlaxle Baenre and Artemis Entreri encounter, fight, and come to control a dracolich, which in life had been a black dragon named Urshula.
In the "Transitions" book series, Cadderly, Drizzt, Ivan, Pikel, Jarlaxle, and Bruenor fight the red dragon-turned-dracolich, Hephaestus, from the Sellswords books series. They fight the dracolich because it seeks revenge on Jarlaxle and Cadderly for ridding it of its sight and taking its prize (see Sellswords series, Servant of the Shard), and because they believe the dragon to be the source of Cattie-Brie's "trance" and seizures of memories occurring. Also, anyone who came in contact with her mind would suffer the same thing.
. There is a note on the adventure map concerning an undead dragon called Dragotha, formerly consort to Tiamat
, who was given his undead powers by the deity Kyuss
. It is unknown whether other dracoliches exist in Greyhawk.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, a dracolich is an undead
Undead (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
dragon
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
that possesses certain abilities of a lich
Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
.
Publication history
The dracolich was introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It was also one of the first new creatures introduced for the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The dracolich (night dragon) first appears in the article "The Cult of the Dragon," by Greenwood, Ed, in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#110 (June 1986), and then in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
accessory Waterdeep and the North (1987).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
A dracolich named Rauglothgar appeared in the Forgotten Realms product Hall of HeroesHall of Heroes (Forgotten Realms)
Hall of Heroes is an accessory for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1989). The dracolich as a creature was reintroduced in the first Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989), and then appeared in the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993).
The dracolich also appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
The dracolich later appeared again in the Forgotten Realms product, Cult of the Dragon (1998).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The dracolich template and the proto-dracolich appear in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001) for this edition.Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The dracolich template appears in Draconomicon: The Book of DragonsDraconomicon
The Draconomicon is an optional sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, providing supplementary game material focusing on dragons. Different versions of the Draconomicon have been printed for different editions of Dungeons & Dragons...
(2003), including the ancient blue dracolich as a sample creature
The dracolich was detailed in Dragon #344 (June 2006), in the "Ecology of the Dracolich".
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The dracolich appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), including the blackfire dracolich and the runescribed dracolich. The dracolich also appears in the Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (2008), including the bone mongrel dracolich, stoneborn dracolich, icewrought dracolich, and the dreambreath dracolich.Description
A dracolich resembles a normal, living dragon at first, but as time goes by, it ages and begins to partially decompose, eventually coming to resemble a corpse.Despite its wretched appearance, a dracolich is a very powerful opponent with a correspondingly high challenge rating, due in part to the minions and weapons they tend to possess. Evil chromatic dragons like black, blue and red dragons usually become dracoliches, because of the evil magic involved in their creation; however, rumors spread about other kinds of dragons submitting to the process as well.
Dracoliches are created from evil dragons through powerful necromantic magics. Essentially, it involves the dragon dying and then taking over its own corpse. It also gains a vessel called a phylactery
Phylactery
Phylactery may refer to:* An amulet or charm.* English name for Tefillin, a pair of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers....
, or soul jar, in which its spirit is stored. The soul continues to exist even after the destruction of the body, and can only be killed by the destruction of the phylactery itself.
Dracoliches in literature
Although the dracolich is a well-known fantasy monster, there are no references to them in classical mythology. The first use of a dracolich appears in an adventure for Dungeons and Dragons (see "Dracoliches in Greyhawk" below). Since then, this monster has been elaborated upon by numerous authors of fantasy novels, role playing games and video games. Nearly every high fantasy style roleplaying game has its own version of a dracolich or bone dragon.Dracoliches in the Forgotten Realms
In the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for Dungeons and Dragons, an organization known as the Cult of the Dragon
Cult of the Dragon
The Cult of the Dragon is a fictional, semi-religious, evil organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The cult worships dragons, believing they will rule the world in the future and will keep them as monarchs next in line. Sammaster, a mage...
is responsible for inventing the method of the dracolich creation. The organization has also created several other undead dragon varieties, as well as other dragon-like monsters including the dracimera (a dragon-chimera
Chimera (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the chimera is a large magical beast that appears to be an amalgam of several different creatures...
) and the mantidrake (a dragon-manticore
Manticore (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the manticore is a large magical beast with the body of a lion, dragon wings, and a somewhat humanoid head...
).
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
's novel Spellfire
Spellfire (novel)
Spellfire is a fantasy novel written by Ed Greenwood and published in 1987. It is the first novel in Ed Greenwood's book series, Shandril's Saga, and takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting based on the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Plot summary:The book follows the journey of...
features several dracoliches, and depicts one on the cover.
In the "Sellswords" series of books, Jarlaxle Baenre and Artemis Entreri encounter, fight, and come to control a dracolich, which in life had been a black dragon named Urshula.
In the "Transitions" book series, Cadderly, Drizzt, Ivan, Pikel, Jarlaxle, and Bruenor fight the red dragon-turned-dracolich, Hephaestus, from the Sellswords books series. They fight the dracolich because it seeks revenge on Jarlaxle and Cadderly for ridding it of its sight and taking its prize (see Sellswords series, Servant of the Shard), and because they believe the dragon to be the source of Cattie-Brie's "trance" and seizures of memories occurring. Also, anyone who came in contact with her mind would suffer the same thing.
Dracoliches in Greyhawk
The oldest mention of a dracolich (although it simply described as an "undead dragon") belongs to the World of Greyhawk setting, found in the adventure White Plume MountainWhite Plume Mountain
White Plume Mountain is an adventure module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, written by Lawrence Schick and published by TSR in 1979...
. There is a note on the adventure map concerning an undead dragon called Dragotha, formerly consort to Tiamat
Tiamat (Dungeons & Dragons)
Tiamat is the name of a powerful draconic goddess in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The name is taken from Tiamat, a goddess in ancient Mesopotamian mythology who is substantially different ....
, who was given his undead powers by the deity Kyuss
Kyuss (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Kyuss is a demigod concerned with the creation and mastery of the Undead...
. It is unknown whether other dracoliches exist in Greyhawk.