Page 84 - D&D Bestiary

DRACOLICH
Even as long-lived as they are, all dragons must
eventually die. This thought doesn't sit well with
many dragons, some of which allow themselves to
be transformed by necromantic energy and ancient
rituals into powerful undead dracoliches. Only the
most narcissistic dragons choose this path, knowing
that by doing so, they sever all ties to their kin and the
dragon gods.
Beyond Death. A dracolich retains its shape and
size upon transforming, its skin and scales drawing
tight to its bones or sloughing away to leave a skeletal
form behind. Its eyes appear as glowing points of light
floating in shadowy sockets, hinting at the malevolence
of its undead mind.
Though many dragons pursue vain goals of
destruction and dominance, dracoliches are more
nefarious than the most evil dragons, driven to rule
over all. A dracolich is a fiendishly intelligent tyrant that
crafts complex webs of foul schemes, attracting servants
motivated by greed and a lust for power. Acting from
the shadows and actively plotting to keep its existence a
secret, a dracolich is a cunning and challenging foe.
Draco/ich Phylacteries. Creating a dracolich requires
the cooperation of the dragon and a group of mages or
cultists that can perform the proper ritual. During the
ritual, the dragon consumes a toxic brew that slays it
instantly. The attendant spellcasters then ensnare its
spirit and transfer it to a special gemstone that functions
like a lich's phylactery. As the dragon's flesh rots
away, the spirit inside the gem returns to animate the
dragon's bones.
If a dracolich's physical form is ever destroyed, its
spirit returns to the gem as long as the two are on
the same plane. If the gem comes into contact with
another dragon's corpse, the dracolich's spirit can take
possession of that corpse to become a new dracolich. If
the dracolich's spirit gem is taken to another plane, the
dracolich's spirit has nowhere to go when its undead
body is destroyed and simply passes into the afterlife.

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 Damage Immunities. The dracolich has immunity
any trait, such as Amphibious, that assumes a living to poison. It also retains any immunities it had prior to
physiology. The dracolich might retain or lose any or all becoming a dracolich.
of its lair actions or inherit new ones, as the DM sees fit. Condition Immunities. The dracolich can't be
Type. The dracolich's type changes from dragon charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or poisoned. It also
to undead, and it no longer requires air, food, doesn't suffer from exhaustion.
drink, or sleep. Magic Resistance. The dracolich has advantage on
Damage Resistance. The dracolich has resistance to saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
necrotic damage.