So, I just looked up the MM explanation of the lich's phylactery, and it notes that the lich reappears "1d10 days after its apparent death," but does not specify where it reappears.
If for some reason the PCs don't destroy Dragotha's phylactery, but they manage to destroy his current form in combat, does he reappear at the location of his phylactery? (This seems to be implied by adventure background wording I remember reading somewhere--explaining why Dragotha is afraid to get himself destroyed as a means of locating his phylactery.)
So if it's still in the vault at Kongen-Thulnir he reappears in the vault? Or does he reappear at his place of death?
(I don't have Draconomicon available right now--but I assume the wording for dracolich phylacteries is the same).
There is a pretty lengthy description of this process in the back of the FRCS.
Basically the dracoliches body starts to reform at the location of the Phylacery. I believe that if there is a suitable body available, i.e. the right age and dragon type, they come back to life pretty quickly, if there is another skeleton there like a Dire Crocodile, they can inhabit that, but if there is no body at all then it takes a very long time to reform.
This is why Dracoliches Phylacerties are stored in rooms with lots of Dragon bones and pieces around.
The traditional way this works is that the lich re-appears at the location of the phylactery.
Creative Director
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This should have been detailed a bit more in the adventure, even if it's unlikely to happen.
If the PCs destroy Dragotha but haven't destroyed his phylactery, his spirit goes into the phylactery, wherever it may be. The spirit stays in there until it moves back out to possess a dragon-type body within 90 feet. If there are no dragon-type bodies within 90 feet of the phylactery, Dragotha remains trapped in his phylactery. As soon as a dragon body is within 90 feet, his spirit possesses it and over the course of 2d4 days transforms the body back into his actual form.
This should have been detailed a bit more in the adventure, even if it's unlikely to happen.
If the PCs destroy Dragotha but haven't destroyed his phylactery, his spirit goes into the phylactery, wherever it may be. The spirit stays in there until it moves back out to possess a dragon-type body within 90 feet. If there are no dragon-type bodies within 90 feet of the phylactery, Dragotha remains trapped in his phylactery. As soon as a dragon body is within 90 feet, his spirit possesses it and over the course of 2d4 days transforms the body back into his actual form.
So THAT'S why he was afraid to do it! Man, that kept bugging me. I knew there was some reason why he was afraid to kill himself, but just couldn't remember what it was. Thanks, James!
The spirit stays in there until it moves back out to possess a dragon-type body within 90 feet...As soon as a dragon body is within 90 feet, his spirit possesses it and over the course of 2d4 days transforms the body back into his actual form.
OOOOOh... I think I just had, to quote Rich Burlew, "an evilgasm".
One of my players' cohorts is a dragonborn cleric (Races of Dragon). I'm assuming that "dragon-type" includes dragonblood creatures?
Mwa-ha-ha...
I think they have to be dead.
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Straight from "Draconomicon", p. 148: "If a dracolich is slain, it immediately returns to its phylactery. If no dragon-type corpse lies within 90 feet for the spirit to possess, the dracolich is trapped in the phylactery until such a time--if ever--that a corpse becomes available."
Of course, in the case of the follower, that can be arranged, right?
Heheh.
For the record, this player's gone through cohorts so quickly I'm starting to nickname them all "Nodwick".
Since this one's a cleric, I'm assuming they'll keep him around long enough.
Sweet indeed.