The Clone Spell and the Lich

Watching Zee Bashew's latest video (if you haven't seen it yet, here https://youtu.be/rmQRhO2BNFc) that got me thinking about my current campaign. I'm running The Red Hand of Doom from 3rd edition, which has been fun, but I really wish I could spend a solid year really massaging it from 3e to 5e. 5e is different enough from 3rd that my characters have far more gold and magic items than they would have at twice their current level if this was a pure 5e campaign.

Anyway, after watching Master Bashew's explanation of the 8th level necromancy spell, Clone, one part I would immediately add to the Red Hand of Doom would be a little denouement for the lich in the story. Oh, yeah, SPOILERS AHEAD, you have been warned, blah blah blah.

The lich in TRHoD, the Ghostlord, is forced into creating undead for the warlord of the Red Hand, Azarr Kul, due to the warlord holding the lich's phylactery hostage. As part of the adventure, your party - if they are good/smart enough - returns the phylactery to the lich and doesn't fight him, freeing him from his servitude. But who wouldn't ask said lich to prepare a clone of themselves as an insurance policy? You've got access to the necromancer of necromancers and their immense necromantic knowledge base... you can taste the temptation in the air, can't you?

Of course Azarr Kul could not resist it, and as part of their deal, the Ghostlord creates a clone of the warlord. The party kills Azarr Kul, and with his dying breath, cannot open the portal fully to allow in Tiamat, but does hold it open wide enough to let her aspect through. Tiamat, of course, is not happy with the failure of her disciple and would normally devour his soul, but the aspect is having fun and distracting her, so Azarr Kul is free to flee to his clone.

The Ghostlord, like all liches, is normally dismissive of the outside world, only focused on their own research and interests. But the recent interruptions, first from the Red Hand stealing his phylactery and second the party returning said phylactery (again, if they are smart and choose not to fight) has made him "wake up" and so, when the warlord's clone's container cracks open, the Ghostlord is waiting. He could feel the fight happening in the north, feel the death of the warlord and release of the aspect into the world, and he knew where the warlord would go next. Oh, the fun the Ghostlord would have, because he had time and power over the warlord. The fun they would have.

Clone is a fun spell, and more than just an insurance policy. This is an aspect that I want to add to all my high level BBEG necromancers now. Hell, it's cheaper than a True Resurrection, and more flexible, though more time consuming and you now have a physical object you have to protect as well, kind of like a weaker phylactery.