Necromancer

A homebrew class by DragonZaid. (Work in progress)

At its core, necromancy is the art of communicating with the souls of those who have died and the manipulation and transfer of the energy that comprises life. A necromancer acquires, builds, and maintains this power by regularly performing intricate rituals through which they commune with the dead and form a connection with the energies of the underworld. Although some necromancers use this power to enslave the dead, such behavior is not inherent to the necromantic arts. Necromancy can be used to heal the wounded, save the dying, call on the souls of the dead for aid, and all manner of magical effects.

Power through Ritual

A necromancer's power is derived from tapping into the energies of the underworld and their communications with the dead through elaborate necromantic rituals. Communing with the dead in any capacity is a skill that normally requires extensive effort to learn—years spent studying old texts, practicing calligraphy, drawing glyphs, and performing candlelit rituals. Once this is achieved, a necromancer can begin to unravel the knowledge of the dead: the manipulation of necrotic energies into spells and other magical effects, the calling forth of souls from the underworld, and other secrets.

Command of the Dead

When a creature dies on Gielinor, its soul is separated from the body by Death and escorted to the underworld by the Menaphite god Icthlarin. Through their rituals, a necromancer can establish contact with the underworld and the souls it contains, and even call upon these souls to return

to Gielinor in the form of an undead creature. If they have the will and the aptitude, a necromancer can force a soul to return and obey their commands. However, they may find other ways to convince a soul to return and help them willingly. Some necromancers seek to burgeon favor with souls, promising services or providing information, such as the status of a soul's loved ones on Gielinor. Others may try to trick souls into providing their aid, lying about their motives or abandoning promises. Others yet may seek souls with whom they have a common goal or enemy, presenting a natural ally and maybe even a friend.

Thus the light in the sky and the waters of life became as one: From life came death, in the form of a son, Icthlarin. But death in the desert is not to be feared. Where Tumeken and Elidinis bring life, their son brought balance, caring for those that passed and leading them safely to the realm of the dead.

Creating a Necromancer

Despite their negative image in the eyes of some, not all necromancers are theatrically evil mages who torture and conjure armies of the damned, forcing them to do their bidding. As you create a necromancer, consider your character's principles and their releationship with the dead they summon and communicate with. Do they use their power to subjugate the dead, enslaving them to their will? Do they cooperate with willing souls to defeat a shared enemy or work toward a common goal? Or, do they bribe the dead with actionable favors or empty promises?

Necromancer — DragonZaid

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per necromancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per necromancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, darts, sickles, slings, light crossbows
Tools: Calligrapher's supplies

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the necromancer spell list. You learn additional necromancer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Necromancer table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

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.

You prepare the list of necromancer spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of necromancer spells from the necromancer spell list equal to your Charisma modifier + your necromancer level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you're a 3rd-level necromancer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell inflict wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of necromancer spells requires time spent writing glyphs, performing necromantic rituals, and communing with the dead: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your necromancer spells, since your magic is rooted in your influence over the dead. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a necromancer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Covenant of Eternal Life

Necromancers that originate from Kharidian cultures or that study its views of the afterlife often take up the Covenant of Eternal Life. These desert cultures place great value in mummification, or the preserving of bodies in order to extend the afterlife experienced by the soul. Some necromancers expand upon this process further, using their talents to raise undead spirits and mummies, extend their lifespan beyond the naturally achievable, and ensure eternal life after death. The undead conjured by necromancers of the Covenant of Eternal Life can sometimes take on a mummy-like appearance, complete with linen wrappings.

Covenant Spells

Starting at 3rd level, your rituals have taught you the secrets of desert magic. You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Eternal Life Spells table. These spells count as necromancer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of necromancer spells you prepare.

Eternal Life Spells

Necromancer Level	Spell
3rd	alarm, color spray, continual flame, dust devil
5th	catnap, wall of sand
7th	giant insect, sickening radiance
9th	insect plague, passwall

Ushabti

Also at 3rd level, your study of souls has allowed you to create and utilize ushabti, small, simple clay vessels enchanted with your necromantic magic. Whenever you would gain a residual soul, you can instead capture some of the soul's magic in an ushabti that is in your possession. Any creature can use an action to direct the magic in a filled ushabti they are holding toward a creature they can see within 30 feet, producing one of the following effects of their choice:

• The target regains hit points equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier.
• The target is cured of one disease or magical contagion or neutralized of one poison affecting it.

A filled ushabti remains filled until the next dawn, after which the soul energy inside escapes and it becomes empty again. You can maintain a maximum number of filled ushabti at once equal to your Charisma modifier.

Restorative Vessels

At 6th level, you've learned to craft more powerful ushabti. Your ushabti gain the following options when activated:

• The target's exhaustion level is reduced by 1.
• The target is cured of one of the following conditions: blinded, defeaned, incapacitated, paralyzed, or stunned.

Additionally, when an ushabti is used to restore hitpoints, the number of hit points restored increases to 2d6 + your

Necromancer — DragonZaid

Soul Conduits

At 3rd level, you've learned to channel your power through your minions. When one of your undead minions deals damage to a creature with an attack or other effect, you can use your Soul Strike feature on that creature, applying the extra damage to your minion's attack or effect.

Additionally, when you cast a spell with a range other than self, the spell can originate from you or one of your undead minions.

Conjure Undead Army

At 6th level, when you use your Summon Undead Minion feature, you can summon and maintain two minions at once. You cannot summon more than one of the same minion. When you use a bonus action to command a minion, you can command both minions to use their actions.

At 14th level, the number of different undead minions you can summon, maintain, and command at once increases to three.

Undead Bond

At 10th level, you've discovered how to form a more powerful bond with the undead than other necromancers. You add your Charisma modifier to any ability check or saving throw your undead minions make.

Soulflame Spells

Covenant Spells

Starting at 3rd level, your devotion to the study of necromantic energies has unlocked new spellcasting possibilities. You learn the fire bolt cantrip, which counts as a necromancer cantrip for you. Additionally, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Soulflame Spells table. These spells count as necromancer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of necromancer spells you prepare.

Furthermore, when you cast one of the spells in the Soulflame Spells table, you can cast it without expending a spell slot. The spell must be cast at a level for which you have spell slots, and no higher than 5th level. Once you cast a spell in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Soulflame Strike

Also at 3rd level, you can manipulate residual souls into other energies as with your spells. When you use your Soul Strike feature to deal extra damage with a spell that deals cold, fire, or lightning damage, you can change the type of the extra damage from necrotic to the type dealt by the spell.

Potent Flame

At 6th level, you've increased the potency of your soulflame beyond even that of your necrotic magic. You can add your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) to one damage roll of any necromancer spell you cast that deals cold, fire, or lightning damage.

Transmute Soulflame

At 10th level, you learn the Transmute Energy Necromantic Incantation, which doesn't count against the number of incantations you know. If you already know it, you learn another incantation of your choice. When you use Transmute Energy, you add cold, fire, and lightning to the list of transmutable damage types, and if you transmute a spell to one of these damage types, you don't need to expend a residual soul to do so.

Energy Resistance

At 14th level, you've grown resilient to the energies you weave into your spells. You and your undead minions have resistance to cold, fire, and lightning damage. Additionally, your undead minions automatically succeed on saving throws against your spells that deal cold, fire, and lightning damage, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save against such a spell.

Detonate Zombie

Prerequisite: 3rd level
When you use your bonus action to command your putrid zombie minion, you can have it use its action to detonate in a burst of rotten flesh. Alternatively, you can use a reaction when the zombie is reduced to zero hit points to trigger the effect. The zombie dies, and each creature within 15 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw. Roll a number of d8's equal to your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, a creature takes poison damage equal to the total and is poisoned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half the damage and suffers no further effects.

Extend Cantrip

You've learned an incantation that can be uttered to extend the reach of some of your most basic magic. Choose a cantrip you know that has a range of at least 10 feet. When you cast the chosen cantrip, its range is increased by 60 feet. You can change this effect to a different cantrip you know whenever you gain a level in this class.

You can learn this incantation multiple times, selecting a different cantrip each time.

Greater Reap Souls

Prerequisite: 5th level, Reap Souls, Soul Sapper
You conjure underworld energy into the shape of a scythe and swing it all around you using an action. Roll a number of d8's equal to your Charisma modifier. Each creature of your choice within 15 feet you must make a Constitution saving throw, taking necrotic damage equal to the total on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. Additionally, you gain one residual soul for each creature that took any damage. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher (no action required) to restore your use of it.

Greater Threads of Fate

Prerequisite: 5th level, Threads of Fate
You can also use Threads of Fate when you cast a necromancer spell of 2nd level or lower. To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level. For example, arms of hadar isn't eligible, but inflict wounds is.

Haunt

Prerequisite: 3rd level
When you use your bonus action to command your vengeful ghost, you can have it use its action to produce a terrifying wail. Each creature within 10 feet of the ghost that can hear it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature is frightened of the ghost for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you summon another vengeful ghost.

Invoke Death

You can recite an incantation in the presence of the dying that hastens their end. Using a bonus action, you can mark a creature you can see within 60 feet for 1 minute. While a creature is marked you always know whether or not it is bloodied. When a marked creature that is already bloodied takes damage, roll a number of d6's equal to half your necromancer level (rounded up). The creature takes additional necrotic damage equal to the total and the mark is removed. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Invoke Lord of Bones

Prerequisite: 3rd level
When you use your bonus action to command your skeleton warrior to take an action, you can also command it to take the form of the Lord of Bones. If you do, until the end of your next turn, the skeleton’s size doubles in all dimensions, and its weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases its size to Large. If there isn’t enough room for the skeleton to double its size, it attains the maximum possible size in the space available. It also has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. The skeleton’s weapons also grow to match its new size, and its attacks with them deal 1d8 extra piercing or slashing damage (the same type as the weapon). While transformed, the skeleton can attempt to shove a creature using its bonus action on each of its turns. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you summon another skeleton warrior.

Phantom Retaliation

Prerequisite: 3rd level
When your phantom guardian uses its Intercept reaction, you can have it reflect the damage it absorbs back against the attacker. Roll a number of d6's equal to your Charisma modifier. Instead of taking damage, your phantom can deal necrotic damage equal to the total to the attacker so long as it is within 30 feet of the phantom. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you summon another phantom guardian.

Reap Souls

You conjure underworld energy into the shape of a great scythe and swing it in front of you using an action. Roll a number of d4's equal to your Charisma modifier. Each creature in a 15-foot cone originating from you must make a

Necromancer — DragonZaid

Bloat

3rd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You infect a creature within range, causing it to swell from the inside. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 5d6 poison damage and is poisoned for the duration. Once per turn while poisoned, if the taret makes an attack or willingly moves 5 feet or more, it takes 2d6 poison damage. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effects on a success. On a successful save, the target takes half the initial damage and suffers no further effects.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the initial damage and the damage the target takes for moving or using an attack each increase by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.

Blood Siphon

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (10-foot radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You siphon life energy from nearby enemies before weaponizing it against a creature. Each creature of your choice within a 10-foot radius must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. You regain hit points equal to half the total amount of damage dealt to all creatures.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.

Bone Shield

1st-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a small handful of bone fragments)
• Duration: Concentration, 10 minutes

Large bones envelop a creature of your choice within range like a piecemeal set of armor. For the duration, whenever the creature takes piercing or slashing damage, the damage is reduced by 2.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage reduction increases by 1 for each slot level above 1st.

Death Skulls

6th-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a small skull sculpted from bone or glass)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You manifest a magical skull dripping with necromantic energy and launch it toward a target of your choice that you can see within range. The skull then bounces to many as three other targets in sequence, each of which must be within 30 feet of the previous target. A target can be a creature or an object and may be targeted more than once, but not twice in a row within the sequence of bounces.

A target must make a Dexterity saving throw each time the skull targets it. The target takes 8d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, one additional bounce is added to the sequence for each slot level above 6th.

Living Death

7th-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a jewel-embellished skull, worth at least 500 gp)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You drench yourself in underworld magic as you take on the form of an undead skeleton, dripping with necrotic energy. You gain the following benefits until the spell ends:

• Ethereal Sight. You can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when you are on the Material Plane, and vice versa.
• Horrific Visage. When you cast this spell, and as a bonus action on subsequent turns for the duration, you can create an image of woeful terror. Each creature within 30 feet that can see you and isn’t an undead must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 psychic damage and is frightened until the start of your next turn. While frightened in this way, a creature's speed becomes 0. On a successful save, a creature takes half the damage and isn't frightened.
• Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells.