Description
A dracolich resembles a normal, living dragon at first, but as time goes, it ages and begins to partially decompose, so a very old dracolich really looks like a corpse, and may even be part skeleton.
Despite its wretched appearance, however, a dracolich is a very powerful opponent, with a very high challenge rating, since firstly it possesses both many weapons and plenty of minions. Usually it's evil chromatic dragons like black, blue and red dragons who become dracoliches, due to 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 some powerful necromantic magics. Basically, it consists of the dragon first dying and then taking over its own corpse. However, it also gains a vessel called a
phylactery, or soul jar, in which its spirit is actually stored as well as retreats if the dracolich's body becomes destroyed. Thus, it is important to destroy both the dracolich's body and its phylactery or the monster will be back.