Tome of the Dragon

Source: Forgotten Realms - Adventures in Faerun

Wondrous Item, Legendary

This heavy tome is bound in dragonhide and reinforced with thick bands of cold iron. The original copies were made by wyrmspeakers of the Cult of the Dragon and bear that cult’s symbol on their cover. The Tome of the Dragon contains the secret ritual to transform a dragon or a dead dragon’s body into a dracolich.

To decipher and use the Tome of the Dragon, you must be either a spellcaster with at least two level 5 spell slots or a Dragon. A single assistant (or more, at the DM’s discretion) can help you conduct the ritual, so long as that assistant also meets the requirements to use the tome.

To create a dracolich using a Tome of the Dragon, you must have continuous access to the body of an adult or ancient dragon (either living or dead), as well as 80,000 GP worth of supplies (which includes a gem that will serve as the anchor for the dracolich’s spirit). While you have the necessary materials, you must conduct a ritual that lasts 180 days divided by the number of creatures conducting the ritual. During the ritual, you and any assistants must work without interruption, resting no more than 8 hours per day. If you are a Dragon, the cost of supplies and the ritual’s duration are halved.

When the ritual is complete, the tome explodes with violet light, dealing 12d6 Necrotic damage to you and each assistant. If this damage reduces a creature to 0 Hit Points, the creature is killed and immediately reanimates as a Zombie under the DM's control.

At the end of the ritual, the target transforms into a Dracolich. If the ritual’s target was a living dragon, that dragon dies instantly, and its spirit is transferred to the gem supplied for the ritual. If the target was a dead dragon’s body, the body reanimates, and the gem is inhabited by an evil dragon spirit from the Outer Planes. The dracolich is under no obligation toward its creators and acts according to its nature.