Dracolich Revised
The Monster Manual provides a template for dracoliches; however, in my opinion it is a template that lacks any impactful abilities beyond those provided by the basic dragon statistics. So I have created my own dracolich template in the hopes that it better provides for a unique and powerful undead.
Dracolich Template
Only an ancient or adult true dragon can be transformed into a dracolich. Younger dragons that attempt to undergo the transformation die, as do other creatures that aren't true dragons but possess the dragon type, such as pseudodragons and wyverns. A shadow dragon can't be transformed into a dracolich, for it has already lost too much of its physical form.
When a dragon becomes a dracolich, it retains its statistics except as described below. The dragon loses any trait, such as Amphibious, that assumes a living physiology.
Type. The dracolich's type changes from dragon to undead, and it no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep.
Damage Resistance. The dracolich has resistance to necrotic damage.
Damage Immunity. The dracolich has immunity to poison. It also retains any immunities it had prior to becoming a dracolich.
Condition Immunities. The dracolich can't be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or poisoned. It also doesn't suffer from exhaustion.
Magic Resistance. The dracolich has advantage on saving throws against spells and other effects.
Turn Immunity. The dracolich is immune to any effect that turns undead.
New Action: Bite. When the dragon hits with its bite, the target of the attack suffers disadvantage on weapon attacks until the end of its next turn.
New Action: Breath Weapon. A humanoid slain by the dracolich's breath weapon rises as a zombie under the dracolich's control. The zombie acts immediately after the dracolich's initiative count in combat.
New Action: Frightful Presence. While a target is frightened by the dracolich's frightful presence it is paralyzed and takes 18 (4d8) psychic damage at the start of each of its turns.
New Action: Raise the Horde (1/day) . The dracolich creates 10 (2d6 + 3) wights, which rise from the ground in unoccupied spaces of the dracolich's choice within 120 feet of it. The wights act as allies of the dracolich and remain until the dracolich dies or for 24 hours.
Art by Cobalt Jade, cobaltjade.com
Lair Actions
At the DM's discretion, the dracolich may replace one of its lair action effects with one of the effects listed below:
- Magical darkness spreads from a point the dracolich chooses within 60 feet of it, filling a 20-foot-radius sphere until the dracolich dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can’t see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can’t illuminate it. A creature that enters the darkness or starts its turn in it takes 20 (4d10) necrotic damage.
- Skeletal hands reach out of the ground and attempt to grasp up to 7 creatures of the dracolich's choice that are within 120 feet of it. Each creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 19 (3d12) cold damage and become grappled by the hands (escape DC 15) until the dracolich uses this lair action again or dies.