A funny use of UMD: Dracolich-dom for the non-Dracolich

[User3]

Ok, in the Draconomicon the Dracolich Phylactery is a Wonderous Magic Item. This means that you can use use Use Magic Device to Emulate Race, then Activate Blindly.

So, if you create an "empty" Phylactery that hasn't had a dracolich's soul attached to it, then you activate it, you become the soul attached to it. Then you can possess a dragon body each time you die, and in 1d4 days you return to your normal self.

At no point do you have to be undead or even a dracolich. The Dracolich Potion is the effect that turns a dragon into a dracolich so that he can use a Dracolich Phylactery.

Since you aren't a Dracolich, you don't even have the pesky LA of +4.

This is a trick that would never work with a lich;s phylactery, since its description is worded in the same way as Construct creation and the phylactery is never explicitly defined as a magic item (it'd need an item stat block with things like a sale price, minimum caster level, time to make it, etc).

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What do you guys think? I can't find any holes in the logic.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Assuming no holes in the logic, wouldn't you even be able to be a dracolich without being a dragon then?

that's pretty cool, that's going to be my next BBEG.

[User3]

Assuming no holes in the logic, wouldn't you even be able to be a dracolich without being a dragon then?

No, actually.

It works like this:

Step 1: Drink the Dracolich Potion. If this kills you, go to Step Two.

Step 2: Dying by a Dracolich Potion activates your Dracolich Phylactery, pulling your soul into it. Go to Step Three.

Step Three: While in the Phylactery, you can possess a True Dragon, Dragon, or reptilian body. If you possess your original body, you become a Dracolich. If not, you become a Proto-Dracolich and Go to Step Four.

Step Four: As a Proto-Dracolich, you become a Dracolich in 1d4 days. Until then, you have a mix of Dracolich stats and abilities and your regular stats. If you can't have the Dracolich template applied to your original form, go to Step Five.

Step Five: This is the tricky part. A Proto-Dracolich becomes a Dracolich in 1d4 days and returns to his orginal form as two seperate effects. Usually, this is not a problem as a creature returned to its original form is living, then the Dracolich template makes it undead, and since these effects happen at the same time you don't get any weirdness.

The catch is that the Dracolich template can only be applied to a Dragon. If you are not a Dragon, then you just return to your original form.

Neat, eh?

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The funny thing is that you cna become a Dracolich off of any kind of dragon, not just the True Dragons. Because the Dracolich is so odd, you can do all kinds of strange things.

For example, you can become a Dracolich as a Sorcerer (any race) with the Draconic Heritage feat since it gives the Dragonblood subtype that makes you a dragon for all magic effects (like the Wonderous Items that make someone into a Dracolich).

Kobolds can also become Dracoliches outright, as they also have the Dragonblooded subtype.

There is also a long list of crazy crap that can also become Dracoliches: Draconic creatures, Dragonkin, Half Dragons, Dragon Disciples, Half-Dragons, etc.

[Username17]

While you're a proto draco lich you have a mixture of draco lich powers, the original body's abilities, and your own character's stuff. It's very weird.

But if you had enough dragon bodies around you could commit suicide every few days in order to spend time as a giant zombie dragon. Unfortunately you wouldn't be able to talk. But if you had telepathy or were a warrior type you wouldn't care.

-Username17

[User3]

While you're a proto draco lich you have a mixture of draco lich powers, the original body's abilities, and your own character's stuff. It's very weird.

But if you had enough dragon bodies around you could commit suicide every few days in order to spend time as a giant zombie dragon. Unfortunately you wouldn't be able to talk. But if you had telepathy or were a warrior type you wouldn't care.

So, last night they came up with a proto-dracolich template in an Undermountain excerpt. It can only be applied to a a dragon, true dragon, or reptilian.

What does that mean?

I guess you possess the body, don't gain any extra dracolich powers, and turn into yourself when the time comes. Weird.

You know what I hate about this game?

No consistant logic. I swear, if the designers had simple guidlelines like "a monster of X Cr shouldn't have a stat past X" or "don't make magic items that do X" or "if you are making a new power for a monster, describe it as well as a spell", then we'd all be happier.

[RandomCasualty]

1144339469[/unixtime]]
No consistant logic. I swear, if the designers had simple guidlelines like "a monster of X Cr shouldn't have a stat past X" or "don't make magic items that do X" or "if you are making a new power for a monster, describe it as well as a spell", then we'd all be happier.

Well, D&D as it is now is tough to quantify in that manner, often because combat isn't just about numbers. As any flying wizard will tell you, it seriously doesn't matter how strong or healthy a nonflying creature is. If it doesn't have flight or ranged attacks, it loses. It's really that simple.

And when your counter system has such absolutes, you really can't have absolute rules for CR either. It almost makes the CR system in general pretty much a joke.

About the only guidelines they can have is what *not* to do in a vague mechanics sense, which I'd like to see. Stuff like "Don't hand out extra actions or turns", "Don't screw with the initiative structure in weird ways." and "Don't write caster PrCs with anything less than 8/10 spell progression."

[Username17]

1144339469[/unixtime]]
So, last night they came up with a proto-dracolich template in an Undermountain excerpt. It can only be applied to a a dragon, true dragon, or reptilian.

What does that mean?

It means that the phylactery can only grab the body of a dragon or reptilian, or your own body. And since if you grab your own body you don't turn into a proto-dracolich, the template doesn't ever get applied to something that isn't a reptilian or dragon. I think there's a size limit to proto-draco liches too.

-Username17