Necromancer
“ | Chapter 1: How to properly use a shovel. | ” |
—The Book of the Dead |
A Necromancer is a spellcaster that harbors the ability to raise, animate, create, or summon undead. They are not unlike wizards, but they are more adept in the arts of necromancy, and magic pertaining to life after death.
Making a Necromancer
A Necromancer is a caster that is able to expel negative energies flowing through their veins. Necromancers are similar to both wizards and clerics, but are more adept with necromancy spells. They use their abilities to raise/summon undead from their fallen enemies. Necromancers are also effective with diseases, poison spells, and affecting opponents with fear, fatigue, exhaustion, pain, negative energy damage, or even gaining mindless supporters through the use of enchantment spells like charm or dominate.
A Necromancer's strengths are in bolstering undead, summoning or raising undead minions (which they can control up to a number of a large mob) and being able to cast a vast repertoire of various necromancy spells. They are strong spell casters and are quite durable in physical combat. A Necromancer should primarily be used for crowd control (and at higher levels, seriously, a 'crowd controller') able to curse the enemy while summoning or animating low cost zombies and skeletons to occupy the enemy while their teammates continue to sustain a mass of dead bodies for you.
Abilities: Charisma is important as it grants a necromancer additional 'turn undead' uses. It also powers the necromancer's spells and other special abilities. Wisdom determines the amount of spells a Necromancer may cast per day, as well as increasing your Will save. A high dexterity can prove invaluable when going for touch attacks as a necromancer. Either for succeeding rolls for ranged damaging spells or energy draining melee attacks while in the form of a vampire or lich, your opponents will be at your mercy if they find themselves within your grasp. Constitution is rather unnecessary as undead lose all bonuses to their health once in their undead form.
Races: Humans are best fit to work as necromancers, due to their particularly short life spans and nonchalant attitudes toward the dead. Elves lack the stomach, and raw power to unearth materials. Gnomes find that the afterlife just isn't as entertaining as where they are now. Halflings see it to be a waste of time, as many undead weigh a lot and are too bulky to be hauling around everywhere. Many Orc, and half-orc shamans dabble in necromancy, and half elves don't mind it too much either.
Alignment: Any non-good (too much negative energy for a good aligned character to live with). A Necromancer is not quintessentially "evil", though most necromancers display traits of uncontrolled insanity, earlier on in history, necromancers were a welcome addition in any village or town. Once upon a time, necromancers were honored as shepherds of the dead, justified by aiding transition to the other side, as well as being a cornucopia of funerary wrappings, sacred incantations, and other things that help them to put the dead to rest.
Starting Gold: 3d6 gp
Starting Age: Wizard
Table: The Necromancer Hit Die: d6 |
Level | Base
Attack Bonus | Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day |
Fort | Ref | Will | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
1st | +0 | +1 | +0 | +2 | Turn Undead | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2nd | +1 | +1 | +0 | +3 |
| 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3rd | +2 | +2 | +1 | +3 | Lesser Death Aura | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4th | +3 | +2 | +1 | +4 | Skeletal Ally | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5th | +3 | +3 | +1 | +4 | Black Magic | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6th | +4 | +3 | +2 | +5 | Lesser Undead Form | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
7th | +5 | +3 | +2 | +5 |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
8th | +6/+1 | +4 | +2 | +6 | Greater Bolstering Undead | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
9th | +6/+1 | +4 | +3 | +6 | Death Aura | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
10th | +7/+2 | +5 | +3 | +7 |
| 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
11th | +8/+3 | +5 | +3 | +7 |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
12th | +9/+4 | +5 | +4 | +8 | Undead Form | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
13th | +9/+4 | +6 | +4 | +8 |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
14th | +10/+5 | +6 | +4 | +9 |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
15th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +5 | +9 | Greater Death Aura | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
16th | +12/+7/+2 | +7 | +5 | +10 |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
17th | +12/+7/+2 | +7 | +5 | +10 |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
18th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +6 | +11 | Greater Undead Form | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
19th | +14/+9/+4 | +8 | +6 | +11 |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
20th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +6 | +12 | Master of Death, Phylactery | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×2 at 1st level)
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Int). |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Necromancers.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Necromancer is proficient with all simple weapons and distarns. They are proficient with Light armor and Shields.
Spells: A Necromancer has to prepare spells as a cleric or wizard does. The spells' DC's are based on charisma while spells per day are based on Wisdom. A Necromancer chooses his/her spells from the following list:
0—arcane mark, detect magic, detect poison, detect undead, disrupt undead, ghost sound, inflict minor wounds, light, mage hand, ray of frost and read magic
1st—bane, cause fear, charm person, chill touch, command, doom, hypnotism, inflict light wounds, deathwatch, protection from good and ray of enfeeblement
2nd—blindness/deafness, command undead, darkness, darkvision, daze monster, death knell, desecrate, detect thoughts, false life, fear, ghoul touch, inflict moderate wounds, invisibility, resist energy, see invisibility, silence, spectral hand, spider climb, and touch of idiocy
3rd—animate dead, bestow curse, contagion, gaseous form, deeper darkness, dispel magic, gentle repose, halt undead, inflict serious wounds, invisibility sphere, magic circle against good, prayer, protection from energy, ray of exhaustion, sleet storm, speak with dead, suggestion, and vampiric touch
4th—charm monster, confusion, crushing despair, detect scrying, dismissal, enervation, fear, greater invisibility, ice storm, inflict critical wounds, phantasmal killer, poison and scrying
5th—break enchantment, cone of cold, dominate person, feeblemind, greater command, magic jar, mass inflict light wounds, mind fog, nightmare, slay living, spell resistance, symbol of pain, true seeing, unhallow and waves of fatigue
6th—banishment, circle of death, create undead, greater dispel magic, harm, mass inflict moderate wounds, mass suggestion, shadow walk, symbol of fear and symbol of persuasion
7th—blasphemy, control undead, destruction, finger of death, greater scrying, insanity, mass inflict serious wounds, mass invisibility, power word blind, symbol of weakness and waves of exhaustion
8th—create greater undead, horrid wilting, mass charm monster, mass inflict critical wounds, power word stun, symbol of death, symbol of insanity, trap the soul and unholy aura
9th—astral projection, dominate monster, energy drain, implosion, imprisonment, power word kill, soul bind and wail of the banshee
Turn Undead: A necromancer has the power to affect undead creatures by channeling the power of his negative energy. You are able to rebuke or command undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. A necromancer with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion) gets a +2 bonus on turning checks against undead.
Death Aura: Starting at 3rd level, a necromancer gains the ability to produce a Death Aura for 1 minute at the expense of 1 turn undead. This aura extends in a 5 ft radius from the Necromancer and makes the air cold and full of negative energy. At the beginning of each turn of the necromancer, any living creature within the death aura is hurt for 1 point of damage, will save for half (DC 10 + 1/2 necromancer levels + Cha modifier). This damage increases to 1d6 at level 9 and 2d6 at level 15. Any undead within the aura are instead healed by this effect. Starting at level 6, if you are in your undead form, you also benefit from the healing, otherwise you are unaffected.
Skeletal Ally: At 4th level, a necromancer gains the ability to summon a powerful skeletal warrior to aid you in combat. Once summoned, a skeletal ally lasts until it is destroyed or the next time you rest. In order to summon a skeletal ally, a necromancer must spend an amount of turn undead attempts equal to the desired HD of the skeleton divided by 2. (ex.) Deathstick, a level 5 necromancer, is able to summon a skeletal ally with an HD maximum of 4 (must be divisible by 2). Therefore, he must spend 2 turn undead attempts (2 + 2 = 4). He may not summon a skeleton with an HD of 6 until he has obtained level 6.
Black Magic: Your experience in cursing the enemy brings delighted feelings to you. Now, whenever you cast a spell that is meant to debuff your enemies through spells such as bane, prayer and other similar spells, you and your undead minions within the effects of the spell benefit from it with the opposite effects. (ex.) bane will give a -1 penalty to attack for enemies and grant you and your undead +1 to attack.
Undead Form: Starting at 6th level, a necromancer gains the ability to cloak himself with powerful negative energy to assume the form of the undead. A necromancer may enter an undead form once per day that lasts for 1 hour/level of necromancer. While in an undead form, you lose any bonuses from constitution. Your health then doubles (d6 ==> d12 = doubles). You are now damaged by healing spells, healed by negative energy, and take double damage from fire, light and good attacks. You gain all immunities of the undead type. Additional notices - Immune to most effects that require a fortitude save, use charisma modifier for concentration checks.
--- Zombie Form: Available to the necromancer at level 6. You gain a +2 natural armor bonus. You also gain an energy drain special attack. You must declare that you are using this special attack before your attack. You may only make 1 attack per round if you choose to use this special attack. In addition to bestowing 1 negative level on a hit, your attack deals 1d4 negative energy damage and 1d2 constitution damage.
---Vampire Form: Available to a level 12 necromancer. You gain a +2 natural armor bonus and damage reduction 5/magic. Your energy drain special attack does an additional 2d4 negative energy damage and 1d4 constitution damage. Vampire form also grants you a +4 turn resistance to a good cleric's turn undead ability. You also gain 10 resistance to cold and electricity energy. Vampire form also grants +2 to charisma and a +2 to the DC's of your enchantment spells such as charm or dominate.
---Lich Form}: Available to a level 18 necromancer. While in lich form, you have a surrounding fear aura. Any creature that is within 30 feet of you (for the first time), if they fail the will save, they are affected by the fear spell. You gain a +2 natural armor bonus and damage reduction 10/magic. Your energy drain special attack now drains 2 negative levels per hit and does an additional 3d4 negative energy damage and 1d6 constitution damage. Lich form grants +4 turn resistance. You are immune to cold and electricity energy. Lich form grants +2 to charisma and +2 to the DC's of your necromancy, enchantment and illusion spells.
Greater Bolstering Undead: at 8th level, a necromancer's undead power in defending his undead against the light is potent enough to cause others to think twice before trying to combat a necromancer and his undead army. Whenever a necromancer chooses to bolster his undead (or himself while in undead form), they gain +2 attack, +2 armor class, +2 saves, +2 damage and +2 turn resistance.
Master of Death: At 20th level, a necromancer has truly learned the arts of death, thus gaining +2 charisma and +2 to the DC's of necromancy spells.
Phylactery: At 20th level a necromancer can trap part of his soul into a Phylactery (see Lich’s Phylactery).
Ex-Necromancers
A Necromancer that becomes good in alignment cannot gain levels in Necromancer and lose all special abilities and any spells from the necromancy school of magic.
Campaign Information
Playing a Necromancer
Religion: Necromancer usually worship Nerull, the god of death. They may also worship Vecna, Wee Jas or Hextor. Necromancers who worship Nerull are particularly ill-tempered, as Nerull supports his subjects slaughter, and provokes them to go on killing sprees to boast the undead militia they've created. Orcus is also a popular choice. Necromancers worshipping Orcus are usually adept at shifting planes of existence, and sacrificing in the name of their deity. Necromancers worshipping neutral or chaotic neutral deities are not uncommon, but necromancers worshipping good deities like Pelor, and Yondalla, are virtually unheard of.
Other Classes: A Necromancer gets along with evil clerics and sorcerers who study the Necromancy school. Chaotic barbarians and fighters help protect the necromancer while he animates waves of undead. Should any of his teammates be slain, a necromancer wouldn’t think twice about animating their corpse to use as fodder.
Combat: The typical role in combat for a Necromancer is artillery, magical support, or bestowed effects, as well as animating dead tissue for fodder.
Advancement: A Necromancer may multi-class as a Pale Master (Prestige Class, Tome and Blood), a True Necromancer (Prestige Class, Tome and Blood), with enough training a Blackguard (Prestige Class, DMG3.5), wizard, sorcerer, or a cleric. Necromancer druids are not unknown.
Necromancers in the World
“ | Wow, a graveyard. How.... delightful. | ” |
—Devlin Ragner, Human 5th level Necromancer |
Necromancers are the people who create undead in the world. They will usually have hidden undead bases or live in abandoned houses near a graveyard so they have protection. They will work as grave keepers with no troubles. Sometimes certain nobles will employ the services of necromancers. These more wealthy commonfolk could just need the employment of an undertaker, and more often than not, to either avenge or resurrect a loved one.
The Path of Transcendence: Ancient necrotic tomes describe a process of rituals and incantations that are said to prolong one’s life, indefinitely, ultimately becoming a Lich. This idea is thrown around throughout necromancy, but never really covered as a topic. Few know of the power unleashed through a millennia of spellcraft, and these select few aren't willing to part with that knowledge.
Organizations: Necromancers do not assemble or meet in set places in fear of paladin attacks, but live in small communities tied to the main guild and are given orders from there. Freelancing Necromancers are given a choice to join, and if not, they are usually killed as the Necromancer Guild prefers that they are not blamed for the freelancers’ mistakes or problems. They refuse to help those who declined to join.
NPC Reactions: Good NPCs hate Necromancers, and will usually try to kill them if they find out. But evil NPCs take to them like a duck takes to water and will work with them. Rarely a necromancer's mere presence will animate dead flesh, but on a much lower scale, like a cat buried in the backyard of the bar they're in- these animated birds and pets usually end up becoming the necromancer's familiar. In time necromancers heal with negative energy, drawing them (if not physically, then spiritually) towards evil clerics and other characters who resonate pure evil.
Necromancer Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (History) or Knowledge (arcane) can research Necromancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Necromancers are adept at animating and summoning undead, and many necromancers are skilled in casting disease and plague on their enemies.
DC 15: Necromancers can voluntarily become a Lich, and expand their life indefinitely. And if there are any powerful necromancers in their general area, like "You heard from a suspicious figure in a bar that in the mountains to the north (or wherever) strange dark purple lights have been sighted, and the sound of screams can be heard there."
DC 20: "While concentrating on your thought, suddenly a cry for help dashes out of the nearest woods, and groups of civilians are seen running from what looks like walking skeletons!" With this check you learn where the latest undead attack has been seen, this does not imply it was direct necromancer contact, but the undead were exhibiting strange, almost controlled actions.
DC 25: You’ve heard through the grapevine that there was an attack on a village a day ago. The village has had problems with undead rising from their graves and walking off, and a strange man has been spotted in the village who looks very old, and smells of embalming fluid. In the same night men, women, and children were savagely attacked by their deceased loved ones.
