Wizard: School of Necromancy Revised

One With the Dead

Starting at the 14th level, you have mastered the manipulation of the lost ones, creating a strong link between your magic and all undead creatures that under you control. This link grants you the following benefits:

• You can mentally command any undead that is under your control regardless of the distance as long as they are in the same plane of existence of you.
• As a bonus action, instead of make one simple command to all your undead creatures, you can make a number of different commands up to your inteligence modifier to them, specifying which command the specific undead or group of undead will take as your will.
• As an action, you can possess one of your undead servant's corpse that you have the telephathic link, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the undead has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses. Moreover, while you are possessing an undead by this way, can speak through your undead in your own voice, even if your undead is normally incapable of speech.
• As an action, you can choose one undead that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. If it succeeds, you can't use this feature on it again. If it fails, it becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands until you use this feature again.

Intelligent undead are harder to control in this way. If the target has an Intelligence of 8 or higher, it has advantage on the saving throw. If it fails the saving throw and has an Intelligence of 12 or higher, it can repeat the saving throw at the end of every hour until it succeeds and breaks free.

Art: Necromancer - Izzy's Art Blog

Expanded Necromancy Cantrips

Guardian Spirit

Necromancy Cantrip

---

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a bell)
• Duration: 1 round

You summon forth the spirit of a long dead soul back to the Material Plane, target an ally within range. Until the end of your next turn the targeted ally gains temporary hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier, if the ally looses the temporary hit points the spirit dissolves into mist and the spell ends early. The spirit helps the targeted ally with opportunity attacks, making them do an additional 1d6 necrotic damage on a hit.

The spirit's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Lesser Animating

Necromancy Cantrip

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (5 feet radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to one hour

You animate up to 5 Tiny or smaller creatures in a 5 foot radius around you; these creatures stay close and follow you when not given a command. Each animated creature has 1 hit point, 10 AC, fails automatically at any saving throw and only act in combat if you issue a command to them with your bonus action. The commands you can give them are as follows:

• Move: They move up to 15 feet as a group. This can be used along side one other command. At 5th level this becomes 30 feet.
• Attack: Make a ranged spell attack against one creature within 30 feet. This deals 1d4 piercing damage. When you do so, you lose one of the animated creatures created by this spell; whether or not the attack landed. This dice size increases once at levels 5th (2d4), 11th (3d4) and 17th (4d4)
• Glow: The tiny creatures begin to swarm and start to emit dim light in a 15ft radius. At 5th level the radius is increased to 20ft.
• Carry: Your animated creatures can lift or drag up to 1lb each, if they possess a flying speed they cannot fly and carry at the same time unless more than one creature is used in the carry command.
• Decay: Your animated creatures frenzy around a medium or smaller corpse causing it to rapidly decompose, doing so provides the creatures with nutrients and sustains them. When they do so, their attack damage dice increse to a d6.

Fetid Nail

Necromancy Cantrip

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: S, M (the caster's own nails)
• Duration: Instantaneous

Two of your nails blacken before launching at a target, each nail hitting a target of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack roll for each nail launched. On hit, you deal 1d4 necrotic damage. After a nail is launched by this spell, it regrows instantaneously.

The number of nails you can fire increases by one at 5th level, 11th level and 17th level.

Expanded Necromancy Spell List

Animate Bone Minion

1st-level necromancy

---

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a drip of blood)
• Duration: 1 hour

Your target a small or larger pile of bones within range. That bones is reanimated as a Bone Minion for the spell duration.

On each of your turns, you can use a Bonus Action to mentally Command a creature you made with this spell and other animating spells if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can Command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same Command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general Command, such as to guard a particular Chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against Hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

The Bone Minion falls as a pile of dust at the end of the spell duration.

Bone Minion

Small undead

---

• Armor Class 10 + the level of the spell (natural armor)
• Hit Points 3 + (3 * the level of the spell)
• Speed 25ft

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	4 (-3)	8 (-1)	4 (-3)

---

• Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
• Damage Immunities poison
• Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
• Senses passive perception 9
• Languages understands the master's commands
• Challenge -

---

Death Burst The bone minion explodes when it drops to 0 hit points. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d4 + the level of the spell bludgeoning damage and fall prone.

Actions

Bite Melee Weapon Attack: 2 + the level of the spell to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit (1d4 + the level of the spell) piercing damage

Undead Frenzy

1st-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (flesh of a creature filled with rage)
• Duration: 1 hour

You cause undead near you to fly into a frenzy. Choose up to 4 undead creatures under your control within the spell’s range. For the duration, each undead attacks deal 1d4 extra damage, gains advantage on Strength-based ability checks and saving throws and can move up to it's speed in a straight line toward and enemy it can see as a bonus action.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional undead for each slot level above 1st.

Piercing Nails

1st-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (fingernails of a child)
• Duration: 1 hour

One willing creature you target within range grows long nails that erupt from their fingers. A living target takes 2d6 piercing damage immediately. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points from this spell, the spell immediately ends. The nails is a natural weapon with the finesse property that the creature is proficient and deals 1d8 slashing damage. If the affected creature already had a 'Claw' attack, this spell instead increases its damage dice by one.

Corpse Bomb

1st-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (vial of stomach acid)
• Duration: 8 hours

One undead under your control or one corpse that you touch becomes dangerous weapon. An explosion of necrotic energy shoots out of the corpse. Each creature within 10 feet of the corpse must make a dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

At any time within the duration of the spell, as long as you are within 120 ft. of the target, you may manually detonate the bomb using a bonus action, killing the undead when you do so. The bomb automatically detonates if the undead is reduced to 0 hit points or if the corpse receives any damage.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage dealt increases by 1d8 and the explosion radius by 5 feet for each spell slot above 1st.

Blood Spear

1st-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (A drop of blood)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You hurl a bloody spear of your essence at a target within range. Roll one of your hit die and take the amount rolled as necrotic damage then make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 piercing damage and twice the necrotic damage rolled on the hit die. Hit or miss, the bloody essence spreads. Each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or also take the necrotic damage.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by one times extra for each slot level above 1st.

Draining Jaws

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (the jawbone of a creature who died of starvation)
• Duration: 1 hour

One willing creature you target within range grows crippling fangs that erupts from it's jaw. A living target takes 2d6 piercing damage immediately. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points from this spell, the spell immediately ends. The fangs is a natural weapon that the creature is proficient and deals 1d10 piercing damage. Whenever a undead creature hits a living target with this fang attack, it regains an amount of hit points equal to half of the damage dealt. If the affected creature already had a 'Bite' attack, this spell instead increases its damage dice by one.

In addiction, for the spell duration, an undead creature may spend 10 minutes cosuming a corpse that is at least from the same size of it. At the end of this period, the undead regains 2d10 plus it's constitution modifier hit points.

Spine Growth

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (the vertebrae of a of a creature who suffered from spondylosis)
• Duration: 1 hour

One willing creature you target within range grows spines that erupt from their skin. A living target takes 2d6 piercing damage immediately. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points from this spell, the spell immediately ends. The target deals 1d6 piercing damage to any creature within 5 feet of them that hits them with a melee attack or begin it's turn grappling or being grappled by the spined creature. When the spell ends, the spines fall off harmlessly.

In addiction, if the spined creature's corpse explodes by some effect like the carnage blast or corpse bomb, these spells area damage deals extra piercing damage equal to the spikes damage.

Corpse Lance

2nd-Level Necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Components: V, S, M (the tooth of a creature who died a violent death)
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose one corpse within range. A chunk of that corpse becomes a deadly projectile of blood and viscera, flying at a target within 90 feet of it. That target must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 piercing damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and are not knocked prone. Once a corpse has been used to cast this spell, it cannot be used for another spell that requires a corpse again. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by this spell, you can recast the spell using the newly created corpse without expending a spell slot (no action required).

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for every slot level above 1st.

Art: The Summoner by Gaétan Weltzer

Necrotic Burst

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose one creature that you can see within range which has blood. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target takes 3d10 necrotic damage. On a successful saving throw, the target takes half damage.

If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, its blood bursts from within its body, spraying nearby foes with gore and spikes of enchanted blood. Each creature within 15 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed saving throw, a creature takes 3d10 necrotic damage or half on a success.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage dealt increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.

Pillar Of Bone

2nd-Level Necromancy

• Castinjg Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (the finger bone of a creature)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a pillar of sharpened bone from beneath your enemies feet to impale them. Choose a creature you can see within range to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure the creature is pierced through; being restrained and lifted 10 ft. into the air as well as taking 4d6 piercing damage. The target can make a Strength saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, freeing itself on a success. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and suffers no other effects.

At Higher Levels. Whenever you cast this spell using a 3rd level slot or higher, the piercing damage increases by 1d6 for every slot level above 2nd.

Blood Ball

3rd-Level Necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood from a creature who died of illness)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You create a floating sphere of blood that hovers near your head. When this sphere is first created, it has a pool of 6 d6s. As part of the action used to cast this spell, or as an action while concentrating on this spell, you can command the sphere to fire any and all of its d6s of blood at a target. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, it takes necrotic damage equal to the number of D6s used. On a success, they take half the damage instead.

As a bonus action, you can draw the blood of any recently deceased corpses within 60 feet of you to fuel the sphere. For every creature drained in this way, the sphere gains another d6 of blood. A corpse can only be drained in this way once, must have blood to be drained, and the sphere can only hold a maximum 10 d6s. For every turn that the sphere is active, it gains a d6 and adds it to the pool.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 4th level slot or higher, the starting pool and maximum pool increase by 1d6 for every slot level above 3rd.

Blood Rain

3rd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a drip of blood)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You cause it to rain blood in a 60 foot cylinder centered on you. Whenever a creature that you can see start it's turn in the rain, you can choose to empower them with life (no action required), granting them 1d4 + 1 as temporary hit points. An undead creature is healed by this effect instead of gaining the temporary hit points.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the temporary hit points increses to 1d4+1 each for each slot above 3rd.

Conjure Lesser Undead

3rd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a handful of bones, which the spell consumes)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

As you scatter the spell component bones of this loathsome spell, undead creatures claw their way forth from the earth. Select 8 points worth of creatures from the following list:

• Ghast or ogre zombie: 8 points
• Ghoul or dread warrior: 4 points
• Skeleton or zombie: 2 point

Roll initiative for the undead as a group with a +0 bonus, which has its own turns. The undead creatures are friendly to you and your companions as long as you are within 60 feet. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to them or your orders have been fulfilled, they attack creatures other than you indiscriminately unless ordered not to.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you receive 4 additional points worth of creatures for each slot level above 3rd.

Wall of Bones

3rd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a skeletal hand)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

A wall of writhing bones and skeletons springs into existence at apoint you choose within range. The wall is 6 inches thick and iscomposed of three 10-foot-by-10-foot panels. Each panel must becontiguous with at least one other panel. If the wall cuts through acreature's space when it appears, the creature is pushed to oneside of the wall (your choice). Any creature that starts its turn nextto a wall must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 bludgeoning damage and become restrained. The creature canmake a Strength saving throw at the start of each of its turns,taking the same damage on a failure or freeing itself on a success.The wall is an object that can be damaged and thus breached.Each panel has AC 10 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness.Reducing a panel to 0 hit points destroys it.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the cage’s hit point total increases by 20 per spell slot level above 3rd.

Invogorate Dead

3th-level level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a line of bone dust)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You agitate the undead around you to empower them. Select up to 4 Undead creatures within range. They each gain 3d6 temporary hitpoints Until the end of their next turn, their movement speed is doubled, and if they take the Attack action on their turn, they may make an additional weapon attack.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3th level or higher, the amount of temporary HP granted by this spell increases by 1d6 per slot level above 3rd

Bone Maiden

4th-level level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a virgin's carpal bone)
• Duration: 10 minutes

A target in range must succeed a Charisma Saving Throw or be banished inside an iron maiden formed of bone that appears in its space. They are considered restrained and incapacitated, immune to all damage coming from the outside, and take 3d6 piercing damage at the start of each of their turn, as spikes of bones dig in their body. At the end of each of their turn a trapped creature can repeat the saving throw, escaping on a success. The bone maiden has AC 14, 80 hit point, immunity to psychic and poison damage, and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. If the maiden is destroyed the creature trapped inside is freed.

Art: Necromancer - JasonTN

Animate dead optional rule

As a variant rule for the animate dead spell, your DM may allow the following changes to the spell effect:

• Instead of animate a skeleton, you may perform a ritual that makes multiples castings of the Animate Dead spell effect that, instead of animates many zombies or skeletons, generate a CR pool equal to 1/4 (1/2 if you have the Undead Thralls feature) for each casting of the spell. You can cast this spell using superior slots, generating additional 1/2 CR to your pool for each level above 3rd. At the end of the ritual, you raise one Undead with the CR based on the size of the pool that you generated.
• In order to make this ritual, your DM may ask your specific (mostly rare) knowledge, material components and even the help of other necromancers.
• You'll need to maintain control over your new undead as the spell says. Seeing that the Animate spell says that you need to cast it once to mantain control over four skeletons or zombies, we can conclude that one cast of Animate Dead let you maintain control of a 1 CR pool. So, using an example, if you've raised a Minotaur Skeleton (CR 2) through this ritual, you'll need two casting of animate dead to maintain your control over it, or one casting using a 4th level slot.
• Your DM may specify an casting time for the ritual. In addition, you may only animate undeads of an maximum CR equal to your proficiency bonus.
• With your DM permission, you may use the Critter Compedium skeleton & zombie compedium as known undead choices for Animate Dead.