Necromancer (Full Caster)

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Necromancer (Full Caster Edition)

A hollow-eyed woman clad all in black stalks a cemetery at night. Behind her lies an insensate gravedigger, incapacitated by drink. As the clouds part to reveal a slivered moon, she raises her hands and begins an incantations. Hands of bone burst forth from the graves, skeletons clambering out to salute their new leader.

A gregarious nobleman in elegant fashions sashays through the square, delighted with the carnival atmosphere of the midwinter festival. Behind him stalks his bodyguard — massive, imposing, a towering brute in head-to-toe plate. The only hint of the figure inside the armor is in the eyeslits, two points of green flame burning inside a bleached skull.

A muscular woman in a suit of bone-gilded plate surveys the battlefield, marking four fresh notches on her axe. She wipes a bit of her own blood in the first notch, then gestures with the axe. One of the bloody corpses on the ground gasps and shudders, heaving itself up and standing at attention for her command.

A slender figure in maroon robes stands behind their companions, facing down a small horde of gnolls. They gesture with a wand of bone at each fallen hyena-kin, tearing free a luminous scrap of the creature's soul. One by one, each soul entwines around the wand, before the robed figure whips it forward and hurls a barrage of angry spirits at the gnollish chief.

A withered minotaur, his frame gaunt and draped in tattered robes, stands on the edge of a moonlit glade and stares down a band of approaching brigands. As the robbers near, he makes a simple gesture, and the shadows behind him begin to take form, slinking forward with smoky claws.

Dreadful Command

Every clerical acolyte and sorcerous student is cautioned against the path of necromancy. Dabbling may be permitted, but true necromancers learn more than just sinister magics — they delve into the manipulation of souls, the art of separating a creature's essence from its body and then reusing both. Necromancers learn conventional magic, but focus more of their study on this black animancy, deriving power from blasphemous soul-stealing.

Necromancers differ from wizards and clerics, even those who specialize in necromantic spells. A necromancer's research focuses on the nature of the soul, and almost always comes with a callous disrespect for the dead. Even the most careful and respectful of necromancers wade in blasphemous territory as they advance their art.

Necromancer
Level Proficiency
Bonus		 Features Rites
Known		 Cantrips
Known		 Spells
Known		 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +2 Spellcasting, Necromantic Rites 1 3 3 2 — — — — — — — —
2nd +2 Grim Calling 2 3 4 3 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 Undead Assault 3 3 5 4 2 — — — — — — —
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 4 6 4 3 — — — — — — —
5th +3 Minion Attacks 3 4 6 4 3 2 — — — — — —
6th +3 Calling Feature 4 4 8 4 3 3 — — — — — —
7th +3 — 4 4 9 4 3 3 1 — — — — —
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 4 10 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
9th +4 — 5 4 10 4 3 3 3 1 — — — —
10th +4 Improved Undead Assault 5 5 12 4 3 3 3 2 — — — —
11th +4 — 5 5 13 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 6 5 14 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
13th +5 — 6 5 15 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
14th +5 Unholy Harvest 6 5 16 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
15th +5 — 7 5 17 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 7 5 18 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
17th +6 — 7 5 19 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1
18th +6 Deathly Strike 8 5 20 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 8 5 20 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
20th +6 Calling Feature 8 5 20 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

Creating a Necromancer

Creating a necromancer is a grim business. What drove your character to their dark researches? Were they apprentice to a black-hearted villain, or a respectable acolyte with hidden fascinations? Do they consider the ethics of their craft, or embrace it unquestioningly?

What drove you to adventure? Were you driven from your community by a pitchfork-wielding mob, or left rudderless after a mentor's grisly accident? Did you flee a temple or college, or did you simply exhaust the possibilities of a hermit's life?

Quick Build

You can make a necromancer quickly by selecting Intelligence as your highest attribute, followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose a background that reflects religious or scholarly study. Third, choose the spells false life, inflict wounds, and minor drainSDS.

Class Features

As a necromancer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

  • Hit Dice: 1d6 per necromancer level
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per necromancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

  • Armor: None
  • Weapons: Simple weapons
  • Tools: None
  • Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
  • Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, Medicine, Religion, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

  • (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a simple weapon.
  • (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
  • (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

Spellcasting

At 1st level, your studies have taught you to cast dark magic. Your spells allow you to debilitate and control your foes, or bombard them with dark energies. The necromancer spell list is included at the end of this document.

Spell Slots

The Necromancer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your necromancer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell inflict wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast inflict wounds using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the necromancer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Necromancer table shows when you learn more necromancer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the necromancer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the necromancer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your necromancer spells. Your magic derives from your intellect and your occult studies. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a necromancer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.


Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus or a necromantic focus as a spellcasting focus for your necromancer spells.

Necromantic Rites

Also at 1st level, you can summon up necromantic power, using it to strengthen yourself or even to reanimate corpses and command them as your minions. You power these rites with spirit energy you harvest from the dead. You start off knowing the Substandard Servitor rite.

When you learn an additional rite, you can select it from the lists presented at the end of the class description and at the end of your Grim Calling. You can pick a new rite at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th level. When you gain a level in this class, you can replace a necromantic rite you know with a different option. If a subclass feature gives you a rite which you already know, you can choose a different one instead.

Spirit Points

Your necromantic rites are powered by spirit points, which you generate by sacrificing spell slots. When you finish a long rest, you may sacrifice up to 1 spell slot at every spell level. If you do so, you gain spirit points as listed below.

Slot Level Spirit Points
1st 1
2nd 1
3rd 2
4th 2
5th 3
Slot Level Spirit Points
6th 3
7th 4
8th 4
9th 5

Necromantic Minions

Many of your necromantic rites allow you to animate necromantic minions. A minion is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. Its game statistics can be found in the Necromantic Minions appendix. It has the same size and general body configuration (number of limbs, etc.) as the corpse it originated from.

If you have a rite that allows you to expend additional spirit points when animating a minion, those points are counted as part of its total cost, but do not count for any scaling values in its stat block. When you are controlling multiple minions, every additional minion you animate beyond the first costs 1 additional spirit point.

In combat, all your necromantic minions share your initiative count, taking their turns immediately after yours in an order of your choice. Your minions can move on their own, but do not take actions or reactions normally. If a minion takes a reaction, it uses yours. You can use your action to command one minion within 100 feet of you to take an action on its turn. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. A minion can never take more than one attack on its turn unless it has a feature allowing it to do so.

When you finish a short rest, you can expend any number of your Hit Dice to heal one of your minions (as if you were healing yourself). When you finish a long rest, you can choose to spend spirit points equal to a minion's original cost to restore all its hit points. If you do not, it dies. When a necromantic minion dies, it crumbles to dust.

Real Necromancers Don't Bag Rats

Anytime a feature in this class references a corpse, bonepile, or dying creature, it refers to a creature of at least challenge rating 1/4 and that wasn't a construct, ooze, or undead. Your GM may rule other kinds of creature don't leave usable corpses behind, either.

Grim Calling

At 2nd level, you begin to specialize your art in accordance with a Grim Calling. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Undead Assault

At 3rd level, you can spur your minions to greater action with a sudden burst of dark power. As a bonus action, you can command one of your minions to make one attack on its turn. You can do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, regaining all uses after you finish a long rest.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Minion Attacks

Beginning at 5th level, you can command two necromantic minions to attack instead of one whenever you use your action to command a minion. You can't command the same minion more than once unless it has a feature allowing you to do so.

Improved Undead Assault

At 10th level, your control over your minions greatly improves. There is no limit on the number of times you can use your Undead Assault.

Unholy Harvest

At 14th level, you can channel a powerful surge of negative energy, draining all those around you. As an action, you can force every creature of your choice within 30 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 12d8 necrotic damage on a failure or half as much on a success. You regain hit points equal to half the necrotic damage rolled. If this would restore you to your maximum hit points, the excess becomes a number of temporary hit points up to your necromancer level. For every two creatures that fail the saving throw, you regain one expended spirit point.

You can make an Unholy Harvest once, regaining the ability after finishing a long rest.

Deathly Strike

At 18th level, all your powers are infused with negative energy. Anytime you or one of your minions hit with an attack, it deals 1d6 bonus necrotic damage.

Multiclassing

Should you want to multiclass into necromancer, the prerequisites and proficiencies are listed below:

  • Prerequisite: 13 in Intelligence.
  • Proficiencies gained: None

Necromantic Rites

These are the available options to select for your Necromantic Rites. You can't learn a rite more than once. If a rite allows you to animate an undead, it uses statistics that appear in Appendix 1. Some rites require you to reach a certain level in this class before you can learn them.

1st-Level Rites

Substandard Servitor

You learn a crude incantation to temporarily animate a corpse or bonepile to serve you. As an action, you can touch the target and expend at least 1 spirit point to animate it for 1 minute. It becomes a skeleton or zombie minion with its maximum hit points reduced by half.

2nd-Level Rites

Armor of Bones

As an action, you spend at least 1 spirit point to conjure a suit of bony armor to cover yourself or a necromantic minion that you touch. The target creature gains temporary hit points equal to your necromancer level. While it has these temporary hit points, its AC can't be lower than 16.

When you expend more than 1 spirit point, the target gains additional temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier for each spirit point spent.

Crumbling Corpse

When you create a necromantic minion, you can knowingly expend less power to produce a shoddy minion. Reduce its spirit point cost by 1 (to a minimum of 1) and reduce the time required to perform the rite to 1 action if it was higher. Once animated, the minion's maximum hit points are reduced by half and it loses half its hit points at the end of each of its turns.

Perfumed Disguise

You gain proficiency with disguise kits, and when you use a disguise kit on one of your undead minions, you gain the following benefits:

  • You can use your Intelligence modifier instead of any other ability modifier.
  • You can disguise the minion's smell as well as its appearance.
  • The minion automatically appears to be a living creature to observers, unless inspected with the Search action.

Tiny Servant

You learn the undead familiarS spell or another necromancer spell of your choice if you already know it. Your undead familiar's maximum hit points become equal to your necromancer level, and it gains a bonus to its armor class equal to your proficiency bonus. In addition, your undead familiar has no limitations on how often it can attempt a Constitution saving throw to avoid lethal damage or deliver bonus necrotic damage on a spell with a range of touch.

Instead of expending a spell slot, you can cast the spell by expending 1 spirit point.

Undead Minion

Over the course of 1 minute, you can expend at least 1 spirit point to touch a humanoid corpse or bonepile and reanimate it. It becomes a skeleton or zombie minion under your control indefinitely.

3rd-Level Rites

Draining Touch

When you make an unarmed strike or cast a spell that requires making an attack roll, you can turn it into a melee spell attack with your normal reach. If the attack hits, it deals 1d6 bonus necrotic damage and you gain the same amount of temporary hit points.

Independent Undead

Your necromantic minions are capable of acting on their own and executing limited plans. You can issue commands to minions farther than 100 feet from you, as long as they can see and hear you issue new commands.

Forgotten Soldier

When you animate a minion, you can expend 1 additional spirit point to give it the ability to wield weapons and wear armor. It gains proficiency in all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields. Its weapon attacks can use your Intelligence modifier in place of its Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls.

5th-Level Rites

Beastly Minion

You can use your Substandard Servitor or Undead Minion rites on the corpses of beasts and monstrosities. The resulting minion gains the following modifications:

  • It gains any flying or swimming speeds the living creature possessed, with a 10-foot speed reduction.
  • Its maximum hit points are increased by 3 times the creature's challenge rating.
  • The attack in its stat block gains the reach and damage type of one of the creature's natural weapons, and its damage is increased by the creature's challenge rating.

A beastly minion costs additional spirit points equal to half the creature's challenge rating (minimum 1).

Grave Wisp

As an action, you expend 1 spirit point to summon a tattered fragment of a soul. This wisp appears as a coldly glowing orb of light, and is bound to a specific creature when you create it. The wisp hovers near its bound creature, casting 15 feet of bright light and 30 feet of dim light. The wisp's bound creature and any undead within its light can add your intelligence modifier to any healing they receive and have advantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened.

Summon Shadow

As an action, you can expend at least 2 spirit points and direct a surge of dark energy into an area of darkness you can see within 30 feet and conjure a shadow. It becomes a shadow minion under your control indefinitely.

Soul-Infused Attacks

As a reaction when a creature dies within 30 feet of you, you can absorb a piece of its soul and use it to empower you or a necromantic minion within 30 feet. The next attack made by the empowered creature deals 1d8 bonus necrotic damage if it hits.

Vicious Dead

When you animate a necromantic minion, you can expend 1 additional spirit point to enable it to take reactions directly, without spending your reaction to do so.

9th-Level Rites

Corpse-Feeder

When you animate a necromantic minion of the zombie subtype, you can expend 3 additional spirit points to give it a ghoul's ability to consume flesh. In place of making a melee attack, it can instead make a bite attack, which uses your spell attack modifier to hit and deals piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier. The minion regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

Extra Arm

When you animate a necromantic minion that isn't incorporeal, you can expend 2 additional spirit points to give it an extra arm. As a bonus action when it attacks, it can attempt to grapple its target. In addition, when the minion makes a check to grapple a creature, it rolls with advantage.

Lasting Necromancy

When you have to make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell, you can expend 1 spirit point to give yourself advantage on the roll.

Might of the Crypt

When you animate a necromantic minion, you can expend 1 additional spirit point to add 1d8 bonus necrotic damage to all its attacks.

Revolting Stench

When you animate a necromantic minion of the zombie subtype, you can expend 2 additional spirit points to give it a debilitating odor. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the minion must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the stench for 24 hours.

Rotten Vitality

When you animate a necromantic minion, its maximum hit points are increased by half your necromancer level.

13th-Level Rites

Shrieking Banshee

When you animate a necromantic minion, you expend 1 spirit point to give it the ability to utter a horrifying wail.

Corpse Colossus

Over the course of 10 minutes, you can expend at least 6 spirit points to reanimate 1 Huge corpse or a pile of at least 5 Medium corpses. It becomes a Corpse Colossus under your control indefinitely.

Emergency Leech

As a reaction when you would drop to 0 hit points, you can cast life drainSDS. When cast in this way, your necromantic minions are valid targets, and the spell bypasses any necrotic resistance or immunity they might have. You can cast the spell in this way once, regaining the ability after a long rest.

Explosive End

When you animate a necromantic minion, you can expend 1 additional spirit point to give it an explosive reservoir of negative energy. When it is destroyed, this energy erupts outward. Each creature within 10 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage plus 1d8 necrotic damage for each spirit point spent on the minion. On a success, it takes half as much damage.

Forgotten Skirmisher

Prerequisite: Forgotten Soldier

When you use your Forgotten Soldier rite, you can expend 1 additional spirit point to give it much greater speed and dexterity. Its speed is increased by 10 feet, and its Dexterity score is increased by 4.

Forgotten Knight

Prerequisite: Forgotten Soldier

When you use your Forgotten Soldier rite, you can expend 2 additional spirit points to strengthen its soul further. It gains one attunement slot and advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. In addition, you can choose for it to either gain heavy armor profiency or proficiency in one saving throw of your choice.

Only one minion can be under the effects of Forgotten Knight at a time.

Specter Minion

Over the course of 1 minute, you can expend at least 3 spirit points to conjure a vengeful spirit out of the ether. It becomes a Specter Minion under your control indefinitely.

Vile Phylactery

You have constructed a phylactery to hold a piece of your soul, though the rite is imperfect. It takes the form of a gem, amulet, or other precious object, which you must carry or wear at all times. While it is intact, you gain advantage on death saving throws and resistance to necrotic damage.

If it is separated from you, your maximum hit points are reduced by 1d4 every day until you are reunited with it. If it is destroyed, your current and maximum hit points are reduced by half and you gain 5 levels of exhaustion. Your hit point maximum returns to normal once you have no exhaustion.

17th-Level Rites

Ethereal Form

As a bonus action, you can expend 1 spirit point to take on a spectral form for 1 minute. While in spectral form, you gain resistance to all damage, you gain a 30-foot flying speed and can hover, and you exude an aura of deathly chill. Any creature ending its turn within 10 feet of you takes 1d8 cold damage.

While in your spectral form, you have more difficulty interacting with the physical world. All your attacks are made with disadvantage, and creatures roll with advantage when making saving throws against your spells.

Forgotten Mage

When you animate a minion, you can expend 2 additional spirit points to give it a wand of bone and the ability to cast spells. When you command it to attack, it can instead cast any 1st- or 2nd-level necromancer spell you know, expending one of your spell slots to do so. If it casts a spell that requires concentration, it automatically loses concentration at the end of its next turn.

Lich Transformation

Prerequisite: Vile Phylactery

You have discovered the rite of transformation into a lich. This takes the form of a potion which you must consume; after you do so, you die. 24 hours after this death, you rise again as a lich. You gain the following traits:

  • You have immunity to poison damage and resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
  • You are immune to the charmed, frightened, and poisoned conditions.
  • You no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe.
  • Your creature type becomes Undead.
  • You no longer suffer any negative effects when separated from your Vile Phylactery.
  • If you are destroyed, you resurrect after 1d10 days within 5 feet of your phylactery, so long as it is intact.

Reconstructing Minion

When you animate a minion, you can expend additional spirit points equal to half its total cost to give it the ability to reconstitute itself if it is destroyed. If the minion is reduced to 0 hit points, it falls apart instead of crumbling to dust. As a bonus action, you can instantly reconstruct it in the location it fell, or an adjacent space if that space is occupied. Each time you reconstruct it, its maximum hit points are reduced by half. If you do not or cannot reconstruct a fallen minion on your turn, it crumbles to dust at the end of your turn.

Grim Callings

Necromancers find themselves answering different callings as they conduct their grisly studies. You may choose which grim calling your necromancer heeds from the options listed below.

Soul Master

The soul master is the necromancer recalled in legends, the fearsome villain of so many heroic tales. They are mages equally comfortable with unhallowed magics and undead servants. Soul Masters make use of every part of the necromancer's skillset to torment their foes and control the battlefield.

Soul Masters are the most archetypal of necromancers, and in many ways the most balanced. They can put necromantic minions on the front lines, stand back and cast spells, or make use of their dark rites to adapt to different situations.

Soul Master Spells

Starting at 2rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the table below. These spells count as necromancer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of necromancer spells you know.

Necromancer Level Spell
2rd minor drainSDS
3rd ray of enfeeblement
5th bestow curse
7th blight
9th wall of bonesS

Dark Charisma

When you pursue this calling at 2nd level, you develop a flair for unnerving theatrics. You learn the cantrip spiritcraftS, or another necromancer cantrip of your choice if you already know it. In addition, you can use your Intelligence in place of Charisma when making Deception and Intimidation checks.

Master of Rites

Starting at 2nd level, your wide-ranging approach to your necromancy enhances your necromantic rites. You immediately learn 1 additional necromantic rite. When you finish a long rest, you have additional spirit points equal to your proficiency bonus.

Morbid Shield

At 6th level, you can sacrifice your minions to defend yourself. When you fail a saving throw against an effect that deals half damage on a successful save, you can choose to take half damage and deal the other half to one of your minions.

Wicked Flow

Starting at 10th level, your magic and minions reinforce one another. After you cast spell of 5th level or higher, the next time you use your Undead Assault, you can command two minions to attack instead of one.

Marked for Magic

At 15th level, when one of your minions hits a creature with an attack, that creature makes its next saving throw against one of your spells with disadvantage.

Master of Spirits

At 20th level, your command of soul magic is unparalleled. All your necromantic rites have their spirit point costs reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

Soul Master Rites

The following necromantic rites are only available to Soul Master characters.

Minion Magic

When you cast a necromancer spell of 1st level or higher, you can cast it as if you were occupying the space of any of your minions within 100 feet.

Captive Soul

When one of your necromantic minions that cost 2 spirit points or more dies, you can use your reaction to recover 1 spirit point.

Bonded Fortitude

When one of your necromantic minions would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to transfer the damage to yourself instead.

Essence Overflow

When you expend spirit points, you regain 1 hit point per point spent.

Death Knight

The death knight is a brutal warrior, a necromancer who uses their dark art to become an indomitable champion. Death knights stand on the front lines, wielding cursed blades and wearing bone-gilded armor. While a death knight is perfectly able to command the dead, they rarely hide behind their minions, instead fighting alongside them.

A death knight is more warrior than wizard, and tends to treat their minions as expendable shock troops. In addition, they specialize in swift reanimation techniques, able to raise a corpse instantly to fight against its former allies.

Death Knight Spells

Starting at 2nd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the table below. These spells count as necromancer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of necromancer spells you know.

Necromancer Level Spell
2nd grip of the deadK
3rd unholy waveK
5th aura of slaughterS
7th death ward
9th drink lifeSDS

Armor of Undeath

When you pursue this calling at 2nd level, you take up the warrior's tools. You gain proficiency in martial weapons, medium armor, and shields. In addition, your hit point maximum increases by 2 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.

Extra Attack

Starting at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. You can replace one attack with a command to one of your necromantic minions.

Spirit Shield

Also at 6th level, you can grab the souls of your slain foes and use them to defend yourself. When a hostile creature dies within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to cloak yourself in its fading essence. The next melee attack that hits you within 1 minute deals only half its usual damage, and the attacker takes 2d8 necrotic damage.

Lord of the Legion

At 10th level, you perfect tactics for attacking in concert with your minions. Anytime you hit an enemy with an attack on your turn, your next minion to attack the same target does so with advantage.

Blasphemous Blade

At 15th level, your weapon courses with unholy power. When you spend spirit points, your next weapon attack that hits within 1 minute deals 2d8 bonus necrotic damage per spirit point spent.

Death's Champion

At 20th level, you are an unkillable presence on the battlefield. Anytime you hit an enemy with a weapon attack, you can deal 5 points of damage to any one of your minions. You regain hit points equal to the damage dealt, and all creatures within 5 feet of you suffer 5 necrotic damage.

Death Knight Rites

The following necromantic rites are only available to Death Knight characters.

Battlefield Animation

On your next turn after a creature dies within 30 feet of you, you can perform any rite you know that would normally require 1 action as a bonus action instead, and with a range of 30 feet if its range is smaller.

Black Channeling

When you finish a long rest, you can expend 1 spirit point to empower yourself with unholy power for the day. When you make a weapon attack, you can use your Intelligence modifier in place of Strength for attack and damage rolls. This lasts until you finish a long rest.

This rite's spirit point cost increases by 1 every time your proficiency bonus increases, to a maximum of 5.

Boneyard Bait

When an enemy hits one of your minions with an attack, you can use your reaction to move up to 10 feet and make one melee attack against it.

Spiritual Smite

When you hit with an attack, you can expend 1 spirit point to channel a blast of necromantic power. The attack's target takes 2d8 bonus necrotic damage.

Undead Rush

Using your Undead Assault no longer costs a bonus action, but you can still only use it once per turn.

Necromancer Spell List

Cantrips (10-20)

  • Bone HatchetS
  • Chill Touch
  • CorrosionS
  • Dancing Lights
  • Decaying TouchK
  • Draining BoltSDS
  • Grave CallSDS
  • Poison Spray
  • Ray of Frost
  • Shadow LashK
  • Spare the Dying
  • SpiritcraftS

1st Level (25-30)

  • Arctic BreathK,SDS
  • Bad BloodK
  • Comprehend Languages
  • Creeping ShadowS
  • Crippling AgonyK
  • Detect Evil and Good
  • Disguise Self
  • EntombK
  • Faerie Fire
  • False Life
  • Fearsome VisageSDS
  • Grip of the DeadK
  • Hellish Rebuke
  • Induce HeadacheK
  • Inflict Wounds
  • Mage Armor
  • Minor DrainSDS
  • Nauseating PoisonK
  • Osseous WeaponS
  • Shadow BindK
  • Sleep
  • Spiritual ConsultationK
  • Undead FamiliarS
  • Unseen Servant

2nd Level (25-30)

  • Blindness/Deafness
  • Boil BloodK
  • Bone SpearS
  • Cold SnapK,SDS
  • Darkness
  • Darkvision
  • DisorientK
  • Enthrall
  • Gentle Repose
  • Hold Person
  • Lesser Restoration
  • Poison DartK
  • Ray of Enfeeblement
  • Silence
  • Touch of FilthSDS
  • Unbridled FurySDS
  • Unholy WaveK
  • Vicious VaporsK

3rd Level (25-30)

  • Animate Dead
  • Animate ShadowK
  • Aura of SlaughterS
  • Bestow Curse
  • Cruel PuppetryK
  • False DeathSDS
  • Fear
  • Gaseous Form
  • Ghost StepK
  • Mounting ParanoiaK
  • MutateK
  • Necromantic InfusionSDS
  • Remove Curse
  • Siphon LifeSDS
  • Slow
  • Speak With Dead
  • Stinking Cloud
  • Summon Grave SpiritSDS
  • Vampiric Touch
  • WitherK

4th Level (20-25)

  • Blight
  • Death Ward
  • Devour ShadowK
  • Necrotic MineS
  • Necromantic StormSDS
  • Phantasmal Killer
  • Poison BlastK
  • Reanimating SmiteS
  • RibcageK
  • SuffocateK

5th Level (20-25)

  • Cloudkill
  • Cone of Cold
  • Contagion
  • Corpse PuppetsSDS
  • Deglove CreatureK
  • Dominate Person
  • Drink LifeSDS
  • Ebon SpearS
  • Hold Monster
  • Necromantic StormSDS
  • Seeming
  • Storm of SpiritsS
  • Wall of BonesS

6th Level (15-20)

  • Black MoonS
  • Circle of Death
  • Create Undead
  • Disintegrate
  • Eyebite
  • Grave PassageS
  • Harm
  • Magic Jar
  • Sky OmenSDS
  • Wind of RuinS
  • WoundSDS

7th Level (15)

  • Banshee's WailS
  • Etherealness
  • Finger of Death

8th Level (10-15)

  • Dominate Monster
  • Withering FieldSDS

9th Level (10-15)

  • Power Word Kill
  • Weird

Spells marked with S were created by somanyrobots. Spells marked with SDS were created as part of the Spells That Don't Suck project. Spells marked with K were created by KibblesTasty and used with permission. All are linked in the Spell Sources appendix.

Appendix 1: Necromantic Minions

The necromantic minions included in this class may use your Proficiency Bonus (PB), Intelligence Modifier (INT), Spell Attack Modifier (SAM) and soul point cost (SP) in their statistics.

Zombie Minion

Medium or Small undead (zombie)

  • Armor Class 8 + INT
  • Hit Points 4 + 4 times SP
  • Speed 20 ft.
16 6 16 3 6 5
STR(+3) DEX(-2) CON(+3) INT(-4) WIS(-2) CHA(-3)
  • Saving Throws Constitution +3 plus PB
  • Damage Resistances poison
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 + PB
  • Languages Understands the languages you speak

Traits

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, it drops to 1 hit point instead.

Undead Nature. The zombie doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +SAM to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + INT bludgeoning damage.

Skeletal Minion

Medium or Small undead (skeletal)

  • Armor Class 12 + INT
  • Hit Points 3 + 3 times SP
  • Speed 30 ft.
10 14 15 6 8 5
STR(+0) DEX(+2) CON(+2) INT(-2) WIS(-1) CHA(-3)
  • Saving Throws Dexterity +3 plus PB
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 + PB
  • Languages Understands the languages you speak

Traits

Self-Preservation. If it has not been commanded, the skeleton takes the Dodge action on its turn.

Undead Nature. The skeleton doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Rake. Melee Weapon Attack: +SAM to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + INT slashing damage.

Shadow Minion

Medium or Small undead (incorporeal)

  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 4 + 2 times SP
  • Speed 40 ft.
6 14 13 6 10 8
STR(-2) DEX(+2) CON(+1) INT(-2) WIS(+0) CHA(-1)
  • Skills Stealth +4
  • Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Understands the languages you speak

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws, and takes 1d4 radiant damage at the start of each of its turns.

Undead Nature. The shadow doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Drain Vitality. Melee Weapon Attack: +SAM to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + INT necrotic damage, and the target's next attack roll is made with disadvantage.

Corpse Colossus

Huge undead (zombie)

  • Armor Class 14
  • Hit Points 10 times SP
  • Speed 30 ft.
21 9 23 4 9 5
STR(+5) DEX(-1) CON(+7) INT(-3) WIS(-1) CHA(-3)
  • Saving Throws Strength +5 plus PB, Constitution +7 plus PB
  • Damage Resistances poison
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 + PB
  • Languages Understands the languages you speak

Traits

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the colossus to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, it drops to 1 hit point instead.

Undead Nature. The colossus doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +SAM to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 2d12 + INT bludgeoning damage.

Corpse Hurl. Ranged Weapon Attack: +SAM to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: 2d8 + INT bludgeoning damage. Hit or Miss: One zombie minion is created in a space adjacent to the target, as if animated with 1 SP, and takes its turn imediately after the colossus. The colossus's maximum hit points are reduced by an amount equal to the zombie's maximum hit points.

Specter Minion

Medium or Small undead (incorporeal)

  • Armor Class 10
  • Hit Points 4 + 2 times SP
  • Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
1 14 9 8 10 10
STR(-5) DEX(+2) CON(-1) INT(-1) WIS(+0) CHA(+0)
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Understands the languages you speak

Incorporeal Movement. The specter can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the specter has disadvantage on attack rolls.

Undead Nature. The specter doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +SAM to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + INT necrotic damage, and the target can't recover hit points until the start of the specter's next turn.

Spook. The specter attempts to terrify one creature within 30 feet that can see it. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of the specter for 1 minute. It can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns to end the effect. The effect ends if the specter uses it against another creature.

Appendix 2: New Equipment

Necromantic Focus

A necromantic focus is a special item designed specifically to channel necromantic energies. It may take the form of a jeweled skull, bone wand, ceremonial dagger, or another appropriate implement. A necromancer can use such an item as a spellcasting focus, as described in its Spellcasting feature and the Spellcasting section of the Basic Rules.

Appendix 3: Spell Sources

Spells used are available in these collections, all of which are free to use and reference for any purpose.

  • Spells That Don't Suck is a set of spells by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, creating replacements for problematic spells contained in first-party WotC materials. These are marked with SDS.
  • So Many Spells is a set of wholly original spells written by somanyrobots. These are marked with S.
  • Kibbles' Casting Compendium is the complete set of spells written by KibblesTasty. These are marked with K.

Changelog

v0.3.1

  • Reworked Corpse-Feeder and Extra Arm
  • Cleaned up a few typos
  • Removed Spiritual Mana

v0.3

  • Rebuilt as a full caster
    • Moved Spellcasting and Necromantic Rites to 1st level
      • The only rite available at 1st level is Substandard Servitor
    • Removed Dark Researches
    • Rescaled spirit points - instead of a linear pool that grows from 1 to 6, spirit points now cost spell slots, and scale from 1 to 25.
      • Spirit point costs have generally been increased accordingly
    • Blasphemous Recovery and Grand Rites removed
    • Extra Attack replaced with Minion Attacks
    • Death Knight gains Extra Attack at 6th level
  • Necromantic Rites
    • Reworked Armor of Bones, Spiritual Mana, Beastly Minion, Lasting Necromancy
    • Added Corpse-Feeder, Extra Arm, Might of the Crypt, Forgotten Skirmisher, Ethereal Form, Forgotten Mage, Reconstructing Minion

v0.2

  • Added Shadow Minion and Corpse Colossus stat blocks
  • Clarified Necromantic Minion rules slightly
  • Added Forgotten Knight, Emergency Leech, Explosive End, Rotten Vitality, Grave Wisp, Soul-Infused Attacks, and Lasting Necromancy rites
  • Adjusted timing on Crumbling Corpses, well, crumbling

v0.1

  • Initial Release!
Thank you supporters!

A heartfelt thank you to all my patrons, whose generous support helps make this work possible. And a special thank you to:

  • Alex Whitehurst
  • Andrew Porteous
  • arawnannwn
  • bluewarbler
  • Danny Mendoza
  • David Sharp
  • GlaciesGlace
  • Graham Hildebrandt
  • HaoChuan Chu
  • Maya
  • nitro_dynamite18
  • René Grates
  • Santi L.S
  • Seita
  • Ssenmad
  • TheWindMagi
  • TikiShades

And a very special thank you to Archmage-tier supporters!

  • Grimm
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Credits & References:

Necromancer created by somanyrobots
Discord | Patreon

All systems and spells used with permission of their creator.

Editing

None yet!

Art
Background Image Stains

Jared Ondricek

Includes spells from Spells That Don't Suck by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.

Includes spells from Kibbles' Casting Compendium 2.0 by KibblesTasty Homebrew LLC, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.

Licensing

All rules & spell text in this document is licensed as CC-BY, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC-BY). Broadly, it can be republished freely or incorporated into commercial works as long as credit is given to the original creators.

Includes spells from Spells That Don't Suck by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.

Includes spells from Kibbles' Casting Compendium 2.0 by KibblesTasty Homebrew LLC, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.

5E SRD Content

  • This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.

  • The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.