Dark Necromancer (5e Class)

Dark Necromancer

There are many routes to achieve knowledge and power over necromancy. Sorcerers gain this power through their bloodline, wizards through study and research, and warlock via pacts with otherworldly entities. There are, however, more sinister routes to gain mastery over the power of death, more cruel and heartless routes, and the dark necromancy is one of them. Dark necromancy distinguish itself from other forms of necromancy due to the source of its power: the consumption of the living souls. The dark necromancer is a mage who can use its own will and essence to suck the soul of recently killed creatures, bending and twisting these souls to their volition. They spend these souls as fuel to their macabre powers, tearing them apart to build necrotic energy.

The necrotic energy harvested from the stolen souls is used for many obscure purposes. They can use this power in its rawest form, unleashing blasts of necrotic energy that destroys everything living upon contact. Others, use this as a means to contacting the world of the dead, by conjuring undead spirits for both contact and control. And there are the use for what most necromancers are known for: raising the dead. Dark necromancers march with hordes of undead servants, using the mindless immortal slaves as tools for their own goals. The most powerful among them are even capable to keeping the mind and powers of the deceased creature for a short period of time.

The presence of the dark necromancer often indicates that death is on the horizon. Often they are mistaken by the Grim Reaper, due to their unsettling appearance and the use of necrotic energy to create objects such as blades and scythes made out of pure necrotic energy. Some invite this confusion, since one of the most powerful aspects of death is the fear it brings to those who can't fully understand its nature. All creatures are frightened by the unknown, and death is the ultimate unknown, the ultimate source of fear, being a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced dark necromancer.

Creating a Dark Necromancer

When creating a dark necromancer, ask yourself a few questions: What has led you to take such an obscure path? Was it hunger for power? Or have you always had a natural connection to understand and even contact the dead from birth? Maybe it was curiosity, staring for a long time into the abyss until it stared back at you. Your motivations are important guide in how your character would use such powers. Dark necromancers are often selfish and self centered, since the practice of stealing one's soul is a vile act in and on itself. Dark necromancers are led by dark purposes and use this as a means to an end, and although they are machiavellic, they may strive for the greater good. Give a good reason for why your Dark Necromancer would be part of an adventuring group, and why it is loyal to them.

Quick Build

You can quickly build a dark necromancer by following these steps: First, Charisma should be your highest score, since you control the power of necromancy using your own will and essence, followed by a high Dexterity, for a high AC or Constitution, for higher hit points and greater chance to succeed at concentration checks. Second, choose the Hermit background, since the path of dark necromancy often lead to lack of company (at least lack of living company). Finally, choose the light crossbow and 10 bolts, the leather armor, the dungeoneer's pack, the component pouch and the dagger as your starting gear.

Class Features

As a Dark Necromancer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion

Equipment

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

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• leather armor, a dagger and a component pouch
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 x 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Dark Necromancer

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Soul Point Maximum
1st	+2	Soul Harvesting, Basic Necromancy	4
2nd	+2	Otherworldly Weapon	5
3rd	+2	Undead Affinity, Soulfire, Path of Darkness	6
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	7
5th	+3	Reaper	9
6th	+3	Path of Darkness Feature	10
7th	+3	Macabre	11
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	12
9th	+4	Grim Harvest	14
10th	+4	Path of Darkness Feature	15
11th	+4	Animate Major Undead Improvement, Killing Finger	16
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	17
13th	+5	Animate Major Undead Improvement, Killing Finger	19
14th	+5	Path of Darkness Feature	20
15th	+5	Animate Major Undead Improvement	21
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	22
17th	+6	Animate Undead Mastery	24
18th	+6	Grim Aura	25
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	26
20th	+6	Master of Death	27

Soul Harvesting

Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to harvest the soul of dead creatures after they are killed.

Enslaver of Souls

Whenever a creature is killed within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to steal its soul.

Whenever you steal the soul of a creature, you gain 1 soul point. You can have a number of soul points equal to 1 + competence + your Dark Necromancer level. Your soul points fuel your Dark Necromancer features and can also be used to cast spells, as shown below.

Soul Ability

Charisma is your soul harvesting ability. Whenever an ability requires an attack roll using your soul ability, or a saving throw to avoid the effects, you calculate them as follows:

Soul Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma

Soul attack bonus = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Necromancy

You can use your necromancy to cast spells. You must spend 2 soul points to cast a 1st-level spell. You can cast spells at higher levels, or higher level spells by spending 1 additional soul point for each level that spell has above the 1st. You can cast a spell using soul points twice, regaining the ability to do so again after finishing a short or a long rest. At 11th level you can do it three times, and four times between rests when you reach the 17th level. when the souls are used for cast a magic, the souls are dissipate and obliterate and the creature cant going back too life.

You can prepare spells from an spell list that belong to the necromancy schools. When you finish a long rest, you can prepare a number of necromancy spells equal to your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. You can replace your prepared spells whenever you finish a long rest.

When you use Necromancy to animate undead using the Animate Dead spell, the maximum amount of undead you can have raised equals half your level in this class.

Basic Necromancy

At 1st level, you gain the ability to control the basic aspects of death and mortality. You must choose one of the following cantrips: toll the dead or chill touch. You use your soul attack bonus and soul save DC to cast them.

In addition, you learn how to sap the vitality of your enemies with pure necrotic power, by using the Life Tap and Master of Mortality abilities:

Master of Mortality

Whenever you cast chill touch or toll the dead, you can spend 1 soul point to target one additional creature within 5 feet of your target.

You can also spend 1 soul point to cast either chill touch or toll the dead as a bonus action on your turn.

Life Tap

You can suck the vitality of a creature within 120 feet. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or take 1d8 necrotic damage.

You can choose two targets at 5th level, three targets at 11th level and four targets at 17th level.

In addition, you can spend 1 soul point to increase the damage dealt to each target by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier.

Otherworldly Weapon

At 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to invoke an implement of death, your otherworldly weapon. The otherworldly weapon can take any form of your choice (usually a scythe) and can be used to make melee soul attacks.

As an action, you can make a melee soul attack against a creature within 10 feet. On a hit, you deal 1d12 necrotic damage. You add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll of this attack.

The damage increases in 2d12 at 5th level, 3d12 at 11th level and 4d12 at 17th level.

Marking for Death

In addition, you can mark a creature for death as an action. When you do so, the next time you deal damage to that creature until the end of your next turn, you deal additional damage equal to your proficiency damage + your Charisma modifier. You can spend 1 soul point to mark a creature for death using your bonus action.

Paths of Darkness

Starting at 3rd level, you can follow one of the paths of darkness. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 10th and 14th levels.

Undead Affinity

At 3rd level, you start to assume the likeness of an undead. You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and no longer need to eat or drink. In addition, you don't need to sleep, and gain the benefits of a long rest after spending 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading or maintaining guard.

You can still be put to sleep through spells like the sleep spell or other effects.

Soulfire

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action and spend 3 soul points to call forth the tormented soul in a spectral form, wreathed in flames of another world and command it to attack your enemies. You summon the tormented soul in an unoccupied space within 30 feet.

The soulfire can't be targeted by any spell or effects, and lasts for 1 minute. In each of your turns, you can command the soulfire to make an attack, using your bonus action. You make a melee soul attack against a creature within 5 feet of the soulfire, causing 1d8 + your Charisma modifier fire damage.

You can move the soulfire 30 feet in each of your turns. The soulfire disappear if moves further than 60 feet away from you.

Ability Score Increase

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.

Reaper

At 5th level, you learn the cantrip you haven't chosen when you gained the Basic Necromancy feature. In addition, whenever you cast Toll the Dead or Chill Touch, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage of the cantrip.

Macabre

Starting at 7th level, your flesh has become pale and your eyes have taken on a yellow tint. Whenever you interact with undead, you have advantage on all Charisma and Wisdom (Insight) checks.

In addition, you no longer age and can't be magically aged. You are also immune to poison and disease, to the poisoned condition and to the paralyzed condition.

Grim Harvest

At 9th level, the area around you becomes a volatile zone of death and necrotic magic. You have learned to sew the agony of the newly departed's death into those nearby. Whenever a creature dies within 60 feet of the you, you can use your reaction to target its location and cause an explosion of necrotic energy. All creatures within 10 feet of the explosion must make a Constitution saving throw against your Soul save DC. On a failed save, they take 2d6 necrotic damage, or half as much on a success. You can spend up to 3 soul points to increase the damage in 2d6 per soul point spent.

If this damage kill a creature, you may target one of the creatures killed to cause a secondary explosion as part of the same reaction. Any undead controlled by you within the area of the explosion regain hit points equal to half the amount of necrotic damage done.

Animate Major Undead

Starting at 11th level, you enhance your control over undead creatures. You can cast Create Undead once, regaining the ability to do so after finishing a long rest.

At 13th level you can cast this spell twice, once at 7th level and once at 8th level.

At 15th level you can cast this spell three times, once at 7th level, once at 8th level and once at 9th level.

Killing Finger

At 11th level, you can send negative energy coursing through a creature that is within 60 feet. As an action, you can spend 7 soul points to force a creature within range to make a Constitution saving throw. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 8d8 + 20 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Séance

At 13th level, your presence commands respect from undead. As a bonus action, the necromancer can target an undead creature they can see within 30 feet of them.

The undead creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your soul save DC. On a failed save, it is charmed by you for the next 24 hours, or until you use this feature again. On a success, is immune to this ability for the next 24 hours.

You can't use this ability on undead creatures that have a CR higher than your Dark Necromancer level.

Animate Undead Mastery

At 17th level, you can use this feature to animate a lifeless version of a living creature. The creature created has all the statistics of the living creature, but its loyal to you and obey all your commands. acting as if animated by the Create Undead spell. The creature must have a CR equal to your level or lower, and must been deceased no longer than 24 hours.

The creature animated by this feature lasts for 1 hour, and keeping this creature requires concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Grim Aura

At 18th level, stories of something supernatural taking lives comes to fruition. Fairy tales depict a Grim Reaper that comes to take souls of people ready to die, but the truth is, the Grim Reaper visits to deal death.

An aura surrounds you and saps the life of anything within 5 feet of you. Any creature that enters a space within the area or end its turn there must make a Constitution saving throw or take necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (or half as much on a success).

If you have less than half your maximum hit points, you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt by this grim aura.

Master of Death

When you reach the 20th level, you achieve full mastery over Death. You creature type become undead, you become immune to necrotic damage and to exhaustion.

In addition, you can cause one creature within 120 feet that you can see to instantly die. As an action, you force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, that creature dies. On a success, it takes 100 points of necrotic damage. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 20 soul points to do so again.

Paths of Darkness

Death Bringer

Death bringers are dark necromancers who focus on harvesting the power of the torn souls to create pure necrotic energy, using this necrotic energy to oppose and destroy life. Death bringers have an admiration by the process of necrosis and decay, and seek to increase their ability to accelerate the decay of living things, believing that opposing life is the ultimate power one can have.

Touch of Death

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you can spend 1 soul point as a bonus action to cast inflict wounds without spending spell slots. When you cast this spell, it doesn't count against the limit of spells you can cast with your Necromancy feature.

Life Ripping

Starting at 6th level,once per long rest, whenever you mark a creature for death, you can spend 2 additional soul points to give all creatures of your choice within 30 feet vulnerability to necrotic damage until the start of your next turn. increases to 2 uses at 8th, and 3 at 14th. .

Life Draining

At 10th level, whenever you cause necrotic damage to a creature, you can spend hit dice equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining an amount of hit points equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier per hit die spent.

Pulse of Unlife

Starting at 14th level, you can use an action to cause all hostile creatures within 30 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature's hit point current and maximum are reduced by an amount equal to 4 x your Dark Necromancer level, or half as much on a success. The hit point reduction lasts until the target makes a long rest.

You can use this feature once, regaining your use after finishing a long rest.

Path of the Reaper

Reapers embrace the archetype and idea of the grim reaper, using the power of reap souls of living beings with otherwordly weapons and sucking the power contained in one's soul. Reapers love the power contained in bringing fear, and use the ultimate image of fear, the fear of death, as a source of true power. Reapers believe that fear is the more powerful than pure necrotic power.

Reaper's Cloak

At 3rd level, you coat yourself with a dark energy that protect you from harm. While not wearing armor or wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

In addition, this cloak causes your appearance to become terrifying. Whenever you cause necrotic damage to a creature, you can choose to cause psychic damage instead. Once per turn when you deal psychic damage to a creature, you can force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened by you until the end of your next turn.

Dreadful Strikes

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you hit a creature with an attack from your Otherworldly Weapon that is frightened by you, you cause additional psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier to it.

Reaping Strike

Starting at 6th level, you can spend 2 soul points as a bonus action to give yourself advantage on your next attack roll until the end of your next turn. On a hit, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage of the attack. In addition, a creature hit by the reaping strike is frightened until the end of your next turn.

Face of Death

At 10th level, the fear death strikes the hearts of those who can see you. As an action, you can force all hostile creatures within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw against your soul save DC, or be frightened until the end of your next turn.

You can spend 6 soul points to use this ability as a bonus action.

Angel of Death

At 14th level, you can assume the form of the death as a bonus action, by spending 6 soul points. You gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You gain a flying speed of 20 feet.
• You can move through walls and through other creatures as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your movement inside a creature or object, you take 1d10 force damage and is expelled to a place within 5 feet of it.
• You can make one attack with the otherworldly weapon using your bonus action in each of your turns.
• You can use Face of Death as a bonus action on your turn.

Path of the Undead

Dark necromancers who take this path specialize in reviving the diseased and see life as a hindering factor.

Spectator

At 3rd level, when you finish a long rest, you can summon a spectator, a tiny undead that serves as your eyes and years at distance. The spectator works as a familiar conjured by the find familiar spell, has 1 hit point per level you have in this class, and AC equal to your Soul Save DC. It is immune to necrotic and poison damage, and to the charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained and unconscious conditions. It is resistant to acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks.

It has darkvision up to a range of 60 feet, and share with you your senses and saving throws. In addition, it has the following characteristics:

• The spectator 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.
• The spectator can fly up to 30 feet in each turn and is able to hover.

Necrotic Rot

Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to make undead creatures under your control to explode, explode dealing 2d6 rot to all living creatures in a 10-foot radius. Any undead in the area of effect don't take damage, regaining hit points instead.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and can't use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 2 soul points to do so again.

Life of the Dead

At the 6th level, you can cast animate dead once, without spending material components, spell slots or soul points. Once you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. This spell is always prepared for you, and don't count against your maximum number of prepared spells.

Day of the Dead

At the 10th level, you gain the ability to cast danse macabre once, without spending material components, spell slots or soul points. Once you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. This spell is always prepared for you, and don't count against your maximum number of prepared spells.

In addition, whenever you create or conjure an undead, you gain the following benefits:

• You add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to the damage roll of their attacks.
• You can use an Action to cause all undead controlled by you within 100 feet to explode at once, as if you had used Necrotic Rot. You can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Wake The Dead

At the 14th level, you gain the ability to cast create undead once, as a 7th-level spell, without spending material components, spell slots or soul points. Once you do so, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest. This spell is always prepared for you, and don't count against your maximum number of prepared spells.

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