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.

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, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.

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.

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 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th 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.

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 3rd 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 you can cast.

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.

1st-Level Rites

2nd-Level Rites

3rd-Level Rites

5th-Level Rites

Corpse-Feeder

When you animate a necromantic minion of the zombie subtype, you can expend 1 additional spirit point 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 1 additional spirit point to give it an extra arm. When it attacks, it can use its bonus action to 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 are concentrating on a necromancer spell, you have advantage on the first Constitution saving throw you make to maintain concentration.

Revolting Stench

When you animate a necromantic minion of the zombie subtype, you can expend 1 additional spirit point 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.

Bone Golem

Over the course of 10 minutes, you can expend at least 4 spirit points to reanimate 1 Large bonepile or a pile of at least 3 Medium bonepiles. It becomes a Bone Golem under your control indefinitely.

Corpse Colossus

Over the course of 10 minutes, you can expend at least 4 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 drain^SDS. 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 your necromantic minions die, they explode with a blast of negative energy. Each creature of your choice within 10 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 3d8 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, the affected minion has its speed is increased by 10 feet and its Dexterity score increased by 4.

Forgotten Knight

Prerequisite: Forgotten Soldier

When you use your Forgotten Soldier rite, you can expend 1 additional spirit point 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.

Summon Specter

Over the course of 1 minute, you can expend at least 2 spirit points to conjure a vengeful spirit out of the ether. It becomes a Specter Minion under your control indefinitely.

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.

Ethereal Form

As a bonus action, you can 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 this spectral form, you can pass through walls and solid objects as if they are difficult terrain. If you end your turn inside an object, you take 2d10 force damage.

Once you've used your spectral form, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Forgotten Mage

When you animate a minion, you can expend 1 additional spirit point 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.

Grand Rite

You learn one 9th-level necromancy spell from the necromancer spell list. You can cast it one time without expending a spell slot. Once you cast it in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

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.

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 takes damage that would reduce it to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to redirect the damage to yourself instead. This damage ignores any resistance or immunity you possess.

Essence Overflow

When you expend spirit points, you regain 5 hit points per point spent.

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.

Armor of Undeath

When you pursue this calling at 2nd level, you take up the warrior's tools. You gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency in martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.
• Your hit point maximum increases by 2 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.
• You can use a weapon as a necromantic focus.

Also at 2nd level, you gain 1 extra necromantic rite, which must be selected from the Death Knight's subclass-specific rites.

Spirit Shield

At 7th 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.

Blasphemous Blade

At 10th level, your weapon courses with unholy power. All your weapon attacks deal 1d8 bonus necrotic damage.

Spirit Armor

At 15th level, your Spirit Shield harvests more of a dying creature's soul. When it damages an attacker, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Death Knight Rites

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

Horde Raiser 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.

Expendable Allies

When you pursue this calling at 2nd level, you begin treating your minions as especially disposable resources. When you attempt a skill check, you can touch one minion that cost at least 1 spirit point and reduce its current and maximum hit points by your proficiency bonus. If you do so, you make the check with advantage.

Horde Attacks

Also at 2nd level, you develop specialized necromancy to enable your minions to work effectively in large groups. As an action, you can choose to command all your minions to attack at once. When a minion attacks this way, it doesn't add your Intelligence modifier or its spirit point cost to its damage. When you get your Undead Assault feature, a minion can make this special attack and a commanded attack from Undead Assault on the same turn.

In addition, you gain 1 additional spirit point, which you can only use to animate a necromantic minion.

Boneyard Tactics

At 7th level, your minions are able to act as a consistent unit. If a necromantic minion attacks a creature within 5 feet of one of the minion's allies, its attack can't be at disadvantage for any reason.

Expendable Allies

Also at 7th level, you learn to leverage your horde for your own protection. When you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to transfer that damage to one of your minions instead. You can do so once, regaining the ability after a short or long rest.

Additionally, when you animate a minion costing only 1 spirit point, its maximum hit points are increased by your proficiency bonus.

Savage Dead

At 10th level, you can direct excess arcane power into your minions' feet. When you cast a necromancer spell of 1st level or higher, your minions can immediately move up to their speeds. The total movement can be divided among your minions, but can't exceed 5 feet for each slot level of the spell.

Indestructible Minions

At 15th level, your necromantic minions become remarkably difficult to kill. When a minion succeeds on a saving throw against an effect that deals half damage on a success, it takes no damage instead.

Cadaverous Guards

When you start your turn, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC for each minion within 20 feet of you. This lasts until the start of your next turn.

Damage Control

As a reaction when an effect would reduce multiple necromantic minions to 0 hit points, you can choose for any number of those minions to drop to 1 hit point instead. You take half the damage the minions avoid as a result, which can't be resisted or reduced in anyway.

Grasping Horde

Your necromantic minions can work together to grapple foes. Your minions can take the Help action, applying it only to grapple attempts performed by another minion. If two or more minions Help on a grapple attempt, the grappler can add your Intelligence bonus to the die roll.

Unending Horde

Once per turn when one of your minions falls to 0 hit points within 60 feet of you, you can expend a spell slot to instantly reanimate it. Roll a number of d6's equal to the level of the spell slot spent. The minion immediately stands back up with its hit point maximum reduced by half, and its current hit points set to either the number rolled or its hit point maximum, whichever is smaller.

Spirit Mage 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.

Arcane Knowledge

When you pursue this calling at 2nd level, you specialize in magical studies. You gain proficiency with Arcana or another necromancer skill if you are already proficient.

Spirit Siphon

Also at 2nd level, you can drain the energy of your minions to strengthen your magic. When you cast a necromancer spell, you can reduce the current hit points of one of your minions within 30 feet by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier plus the spell's level. If you do so, you deal the same amount of bonus necrotic damage to one target of the spell.

Dark Currents

At 7th level, you can read and react to black magic instinctively. As a reaction when you would suffer necrotic damage, you can choose to gain resistance to that instance of damage. If the damage was caused by a spell, you gain temporary hit points equal to the spell's level.

Overflowing Energies

At 10th level, when you cast a cantrip as an action, you can perform a necromantic rite that normally takes 1 action as a bonus action instead.

Spirit Rend

At 15th level, you greatly increase the amount of spirit power you can imbue into your spells. When you use your Spirit Siphon, you can drain creatures besides your minions, and you can drain a number of creatures within 30 feet up to your Intelligence modifier. Unwilling creatures must fail a Charisma saving throw to be drained. When you use your Spirit Rend, you can choose to deal all the drained damage to one target of your spell, or you can split the bonus damage among the same number of targets as you drained.

After you use your Spirit Rend once, you can't use it again unless you expend 1 spirit point to do so, or you finish a short or long rest.

Master of Magic

At 20th level, you can cast necromantic spells with trivial ease. You can cast 1st- and 2nd-level necromancer spells without expending spell slots.

Spirit Mage Rites

The following necromantic rites are only available to Spirit Mage characters.

Zombie Minion

Medium or Small undead (zombie)

---

• Armor Class 8 + INT
• Hit Points 4 + 12 times SP + your necromancer level
• 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.

Spirited Strike. The zombie adds its spirit point cost to its attack damage (included below).

Actions

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

Skeletal Minion

Medium or Small undead (skeletal)

---

• Armor Class 12 + INT
• Hit Points 5 + 8 times SP + your necromancer level
• 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

Capable Minion. The skeleton has proficiency with simple weapons and light and medium armor.

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

Spirited Strike. The skeleton adds its spirit point cost to its attack damage (included below).

Actions

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

Specter Minion

Medium or Small undead (incorporeal)

---

• Armor Class 10
• Hit Points 4 + 6 times SP + half your necromancer level
• 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: 1d8 + INT necrotic damage, and the target can't recover hit points until the start of the specter's next turn. The specter gains temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

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.

Corpse Colossus

Huge undead (zombie)

---

• Armor Class 14
• Hit Points 15 times SP + your necromancer level
• 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

---

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

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.

Spirited Slam. The colossus adds double its spirit point cost to its melee attack damage (included below).

Actions

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

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.

v0.9

• Added feature to a few minions to clarify weapon attacks
• Enabled spell-slot healing for all minions
  • Buffed the graveguard's spell-slot healing
• Folded Black Blade rite into Death Knight's base kit
• Reworked Blasphemous Blade into constant damage (basically improved divine smite)
  • Revived prior Blasphemous Blade as refreshed Spiritual Smite rite
• Replaced Deathly Strike with Unhallowed Energies
• Added the Bone Golem minion!

v0.8

• Added the Graveguarded!
• Adjusted Necromantic Minion crumble time, so you can reuse a minion
• Converted Vicious Dead to replace Rotten Vitality as a feature (built into minions now)
• Buffed Crumbling Corpse to use in place of an attack
• Converted Battlefield Animation to a general rite
• Adjusted language on minions making multiple attacks
  • You can't command a minion more than once, but now minions are valid targets for haste, a Warlord's command, etc.
• Clarified Beastly Minion
• Forgotten Soldier buffs Strength (usability fix)
• Soul Master
  • Buffed Essence Overflow
• Death Knight
  • Replaced Battlefield Animation with Spiteful Raising
• Horde Raiser
  • Buffed Unending Horde from a reaction to 1/turn
• Spirit Mage
  • Added 9th level prereq to Reaping Magic
• Necromantic Minions
  • Buffed hp scaling on all minions
    • Most minions add necromancer level to hp, some add half
    • Spirit-point scaling also generally buffed
    • Minions should have about 1.5x as much hit points at low levels, up to 2x at high levels
  • Gave most minions +SP to damage
• Added more spells

v0.7

• Added the Spirit Mage!
• Reworked Font of Spirit
• Buffed base SP
• Buffed hp for zombies and skeletons
• Death Knight
  • Reworked Death's Champion
• Spells
  • Added Unholy Crypt, Sever Soul, Soul Leech, Bone Spines, Deepen Shadows, Shadow Phase, Spreading Toxin, Fetid Blade
  • Reworked/renamed Savage Rush (Death Frenzy)

v0.6

• Eliminated SP cost for Substandard Servitor
• Death Knight
  • Replaced Spiritual Smite with Black Blade
  • Deleted Undead Rush
• Horde Raiser
  • Buffnerfed Damage Control
    • Now costs a reaction
    • Necromancer talks half damage instead of full
• Spells
  • Added Death Frenzy, Deathly Chill, Field of Rot, Lich's Mantle, Aura of Slaughter, Banshee's Wail, Black Moon, Bone Hatchet, Creeping Shadow, Osseous Weapon, Spiritcraft, Steal Shadow

v0.5

• Deleted Unholy Harvest (for now)
• Moved Spirit Harvesting to a core class feature (13th)
• Turned Rotten Vitality into a core class feature (7th)
  • Removed 1 rite and adjusted rite scaling
• Added Font of Spirit rite
• Moved Forgotten Soldier rite from 3rd to 5th
• Moved Might of the Crypt from 9th to 13th
• Removed friendly fire from Explosive End
• Added reconstruction clause to Vile Phylactery
• Fixed phase-through-objects for Ethereal Form
• Added Grand Rite
• Soul Master
  • Added art
  • Reworked Marked for Magic
  • Tweaked phrasing on Bonded Fortitude
• Death Knight
  • Turned Extra Attack into a 5th-level rite
    • Added a bonus rite to make up for it
  • Adjusted Boneyard Bait
  • Moved Blasphemous Blade to 10th
    • Moved Lord of the Legion to a rite
  • Added Spirit Armor at 15th
  • Replaced death ward with reanimating smite
• Horde Raiser
  • Added!

v0.4

• Rebuilt as a 3/4 caster!
  • Tweaked feature levels
  • Reduced Corpse Colossus cost to 4 SP
  • Added Legion attacks to Death Knight
  • Deleted Spiritual Mana and Grand Rite