Dracolich

[Venser]

Hello :)

So, I have found something called a proto dracolich.

My question is:

If a dracolich decides to posses, lets say a giant, and becomes a proto dracolich, is he still destroyed when the phylactery is destroyed?

It is said in the Draconomicon that an active dracolich can no longer posses when its phylactery is destroyed. So, he lives as a proto-dracolich until he becomes a real dracolich in 2d4 days and is permanently killed the next time he dies?

And can a dracolich, in that case, create another phylactery?

[Igneel]

Unfortunately it is as you have discovered, that they do permanently perish if they 'die' after their phylactery is destroyed, just like all other Lichs [save for Dry ones since they have 5].

The recreating bit is kind of vague as there are no rules for such an act. Most people assume that with your soul in a item that gets destroyed, means your soul is 'destroyed' as well. There is an epic spell in Champions of Ruin [Forgotten Realms] that allows you to split/multiply your single phylactery into multiple new ones which can be effectively recast infinitely. Besides that, I have no idea if this anything else for what your asking.

Hope that helps.

[Belril Duskwalk]

I could be wrong on this, but I think generally the phylactery is not so much where the soul of a lich is but rather where the soul will be if the Lich's body were to be destroyed. If correct, the phylactery is only a soul-holding object when the body is broken.

So, in theory at least, it might be possible to build a new phylactery after the old one is destroyed, so long as the lich remains alive between the time of the first phylactery breaking and the second being built. Of course, there are no rules for it, so it's really up to DM discretion.

[Myth]

I could be wrong on this, but I think generally the phylactery is not so much where the soul of a lich is but rather where the soul will be if the Lich's body were to be destroyed. If correct, the phylactery is only a soul-holding object when the body is broken.

So, in theory at least, it might be possible to build a new phylactery after the old one is destroyed, so long as the lich remains alive between the time of the first phylactery breaking and the second being built. Of course, there are no rules for it, so it's really up to DM discretion.

Dude that's saying it's possible for you to not spill the water if it sits still between the breaking of the first glass and you getting a second one.

[123456789blaaa]

Dude that's saying it's possible for you to not spill the water if it sits still between the breaking of the first glass and you getting a second one

except that water is restrained by the laws of gravity. a soul can fly where it wishes.

[TheLooker]

It says in the creating of a Lich's phylactery that the life force is stored within it. If you destroy the receptacle, a lich's connection to the world is destroyed. However, you can think of the receptacle as nothing more than another storing place, much like a body, but, rather, the object does not age and such, while the body does. Because of this, the lich can remain alive indefinately. Therefore, it would make sense to assume that the actual soul in the phylactery is merely let free like someone actually dying. You could thus argue that you CAN be resurrected, and simply do the whole thing over again. I also read somewhere (in the Libris Mortis on liches) that even if you destroy a lich's phylactery, if you didn't destroy the lich prior to that, the lich is still alive. You then still have to destroy the lich, and he simply doesn't have the comfort of knowing that he will just poof back in a d10 days. So yes, it is entirely possible to make another phylactery.

[blazingshadow]

i thought i read somewhere that the lich can't make more than 1 just like it can't be made from a magical item or be turned into a magical item after it becomes a working phylactery.

edit: nevermind i probably got that from some place unrelated to dnd

edit 2: "libris mortis specifically states that once a lich loses it's phylactery, it cannot build a new one."
yup just found it

[TheLooker]

i thought i read somewhere that the lich can't make more than 1 just like it can't be made from a magical item or be turned into a magical item after it becomes a working phylactery.

edit: nevermind i probably got that from some place unrelated to dnd

edit 2: "libris mortis specifically states that once a lich loses it's phylactery, it cannot build a new one."
yup just found it

Yes, I realize that, but I guess what I was addressing was in the event that you do die. Maybe look into putting your phylactery into a golem (wotc were fine with it).

[TheLooker]

i thought i read somewhere that the lich can't make more than 1 just like it can't be made from a magical item or be turned into a magical item after it becomes a working phylactery.

edit: nevermind i probably got that from some place unrelated to dnd

edit 2: "libris mortis specifically states that once a lich loses it's phylactery, it cannot build a new one."
yup just found it

Yes, I realize that, but I guess what I was addressing was in the event that you do die. Maybe look into putting your phylactery into a golem (wotc were fine with it). Maybe you could argue that you could cast a true ress in order to "bring" your soul back and into another phylactery?

[blazingshadow]

on a posibly tangential note there is an alternative to destroying the phylactery by using it to power a special kind of golem with it. like you make the golem with the lich's phylactery inside it then when you kill the lich the golem is activated and you get a new minion.

if you are the lich and don't have a working phylactery then there are some options to keep yourself in the game like contingency with a revive undead or turning into a demilich