Evil Necromancer (3.5e Class)

Necromancer

“	Chapter 1: How to properly use a shovel.	”
—The Book of the Dead

A Necromancer is a spellcaster that harbors the ability to raise, animate, create, or summon undead. They are spontaneous arcane magic casters that are more adept in the arts of magic that twists bodies, minds and souls alike than anyone else.

Making a Necromancer

A Necromancer is a caster that is able to expel negative energies flowing through their veins. Necromancers are similar to sorcerers, but are more adept with necromancy and, to some extent, enchantment spells. They use their abilities to gain absolute control over their enemies' bodies, minds and souls and usually the best thing to do that is by raising/summoning undead from their fallen enemies, skill at which they are unparalleled. Necromancers are also effective with diseases, poison spells, and affecting opponents with fear, fatigue, exhaustion, pain, negative energy damage, or even gaining mindless supporters through the use of enchantment spells like charm or dominate.

A Necromancer's strengths are in bolstering undead, summoning or raising undead minions (which they can control up to a number of a large mob) and being able to cast a vast repertoire of various necromancy spells. They are strong spell casters but are not durable in physical combat. A Necromancer should primarily be used for crowd control (and at higher levels, seriously, a 'crowd controller') able to curse the enemy while animating different undead to occupy the enemy while their teammates continue to sustain a mass of dead bodies for you.I

Abilities: Charisma is the most important as it powers all the necromancer's spells in addition to granting more 'rebuke undead' attempts. A high dexterity can prove invaluable when enemies focus their attacks on rather frail but extremely potent caster. Constitution is also important unless necromancer intends to transform himself into undead at some point in his career via some of the most gruesome necromantic rituals.

Races: Humans are best fit to work as necromancers, due to their particularly short life spans and nonchalant attitudes toward the dead. Elves lack the stomach, and raw power to unearth materials. Gnomes find that the afterlife just isn't as entertaining as where they are now. Halflings see it to be a waste of time, as many undead weigh a lot and are too bulky to be hauling around everywhere. Many Orc, and half-orc shamans dabble in necromancy, and half elves don't mind it too much either.

Alignment: Any non-good (too much negative energy for a good aligned character to live with). A Necromancer is not quintessentially "evil", though most necromancers display traits of uncontrolled insanity, earlier on in history, necromancers were a welcome addition in any village or town. Once upon a time, necromancers were honored as shepherds of the dead, justified by aiding transition to the other side, as well as being a cornucopia of funerary wrappings, sacred incantations, and other things that help them to put the dead to rest.

Languages: A necromancer may substitute Draconic for any of the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.

Starting Gold: 3d6 gp x10

Starting Age: Complex

Table: The Necromancer

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day
		Fort	Ref	Will		1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Rebuke undead, Undead companion	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Negative Energy Conduit	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Mental Bastion	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Advanced learning	6	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4		6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Necromantic prowess	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5		6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Undead mastery, Desecration zone, Advanced Learning	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6		6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Light Fortification	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7		6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Necromantic prowess +2, Advanced Learning	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Mental Bastian +4, Desecration zone +2	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9		6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Grave Touch	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Advanced Learning	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Light Fortification 50%	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Necromantic prowess +3, Desecration zone +3	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Advanced Learning	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6
Class Skills (2 + int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Planes) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the necromancers.

Spellcasting is your greatest strength, although your rate of spell acquisition is closer to that of a sorcerer than a wizard. You make up for slower spellcasting progression with a wide array of special abilities, including a touch attack that uses negative energy to harm your foes. This attack increases in strength and gains additional effects as you gain levels. Because many of your abilities rely on your entering melee, you are proficient with light armor and have the ability to cast your spells while wearing light armor. You also gain a resilience to damage that wizards or sorcerers do not possess.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Evil necromancer is proficient with all simple weapons and with one martial weapon of her choice. Her choice of martial weapon is made when the character takes her first level of evil necromancer and cannot be changed.

Evil necromancers are also proficient with light armor, but not with shields. The somatic components required for Evil necromancer spells are simple, so members of this class can cast evil necromancer spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. She still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells derived from other classes. In addition, if a Evil necromancer wears medium or heavy armor, or uses a shield, she incurs the same chance of arcane spell failure as any other arcane caster if the spell in question has a somatic component (and most do).

Spellcasting: A Evil necromancer casts divine and arcane spells, which are drawn from the Evil necromancer's spell list. Like a sorcerer, she can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. When a Evil necromancer gains access to a new level of spells, she automatically knows all the spells for that level given on the necromancer's spell list. Evil necromancers also have the option of adding to their existing spell list through their advanced learning ability as they increase in level (see below).

To cast a spell, a Evil necromancer must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a necromancer's spell is 10 + the spell's level + her Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a Evil necromancer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is same as a sorcerrer: The Evil Necromancer. In addition, she receives bonus spells for a high Charisma score (see Table 1—1 on page 8 of the Player's Handbook).

1st—Bane, Bestow Wound, Cause Fear, Chill Touch, Detect Magic, Detect Undead, Doom, Hide from Undead, Inflict Light Wounds, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Summon Undead I, Undetectable Alignment

2nd—blindness/deafness, command undead, Darkness, Death Knell, false life, gentle repose, ghoul touch, inflict moderate wounds, scare, spectral hand, Summon Swarm,and summon undead II

3rd—crushing despair, halt undead, inflict serious wounds, ray of exhaustion, speak with dead, summon undead III, vampiric touch,

4th—Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Contagion, death ward, Dispel Magic, Enervation, Evard's Black Tentacles, fear, Giant Vermin, inflict critical wounds, Phantasmal Killer, poison, and summon undead IV

5th—blight, Cloudkill, Greater Dispel Magic, fire in the blood, mass inflict light wounds, Insect Plague, magic jar, Nightmare, oath of blood Lesser Planar Binding, slay living, summon undead V, Undeath to Death, Unhallow, and waves of fatigue

6th— Acid Fog, circle of death, create undead, eyebite, Geas/quest, harm, mass inflict moderate wounds, Planar Binding, Waves of Exhaustion

7th— control undead, destruction, finger of death, greater harm, mass inflict serious wounds, Song of Discord, and Vile Death

8th—create greater undead, horrid wilting, mass inflict critical wounds, and symbol of death

9th— energy drain, imprison soul, mass harm, plague of undead wail of the banshee

Rebuke Undead (Su): A necromancer can rebuke or command undead creatures by channeling negative energy through his body, as a cleric of equal level.

Undead Companion: A necromancer may begin play with a companion selected from the following list: human warrior skeleton, wolf skeleton, kobold zombie, human commoner zombie. This undead is a loyal, intelligent companion that accompanies the necromancer on his adventures until destroyed or released.

A 1st-level necromancer’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a necromancer advances in level, the undead’s power increases as shown on the table. If a necromancer releases his companion from service, he may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring an appropriate body and 24 uninterrupted hours of meditation. This ceremony can also replace an undead companion that was destroyed.

Negative Energy Conduit (Su): At 2nd level, a necromancer becomes a living conduit to the negative energy plane. This allows him to channel negative energy to heal undead allies (or himself, if somehow transformed to undead) for Level times Cha Modifer in Hp per day, as the lay on hands abillity.

Mental Bastion (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a Evil necromancer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist sleep, stunning, paralysis, poison, or disease. This bonus increases to +4 at 13th level.

Advanced Learning (Ex): At 4th level, a Evil necromancer can add a new spell to her list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a cleric or wizard spell of the necromancy school, and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the Evil necromancer already knows. Once a new spell is selected, it is added to that Evil necromancer's spell list and can be cast just like any other spell she knows. If a spell is both a cleric spell and a wizard spell, use the lower of the two spell levels (when different) to determine what level the spell is for a Evil necromancer. A Evil necromancer gains an additional new spell at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level.

Necromantic Prowess (Ex): At 6th level, a necromancer gains unsurpassed power over death. When he rebukes undead, casts a necromancy spell, or uses a spell-like ability that mimics a necromancy spell, his effective caster level increases. The bonus is +1 at 6th level, +2 at 12th level, and +3 at 18th level and higher.

Undead Mastery (Su): All undead creatures created by a necromancer who has reached 8th level or higher gain a +4 bonus to Strength and Dexterity and 2 additional hit points per Hit Die.

Desecration zone (Su): At 8th level, a necromancer is continuously surrounded by an aura of negative energy identical to the desecrate spell but affecting only allied undead. This increases at 13th level to +2 and at 18th level to +3

Light Fortification (Ex): Starting at 10th level, a Evil necromancer gains 25% resistance to critical hits; this is the equivalent of the light fortification armor special ability described on page 219 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. At 17th level, this fortification increases to 50%.

Grave Touch (Sp): At 15th level a necromancer gains the ability to cast the spell "Horrid Wilting" once per day as a spell-like ability.

Necromancer's Undead Companion

A necromancer’s undead companion is different from a normal undead of its kind in many ways. A necromancer’s undead companion is superior to a normal undead of its kind and has special powers, as described below.

Class Level	Hit Die	Natural Armor Adj.	Str/Dex Adj.	Special!		Class Level	Hit Die	Natural Armor Adj.	Str/Dex Adj.	Special
1st	1d12	+0	+0	Link, Dark Empowerment		11th	11d12+22	+0	+0
2nd	2d12	+1	+0	Evasion		12th	12d12+24	+6	+4	Feat
3rd	3d12	+0	+1			13th	13d12+26	+0	+0
4th	4d12+8	+2	+0	Multiattack, Feat		14th	14d12+28	+7	+0
5th	5d12+10	+0	+0			15th	15d12+30	+0	+5
6th	6d12+12	+3	+2			16th	16d12+32	+8	+0	Feat
7th	7d12+14	+0	+0			17th	17d12+34	+0	+0
8th	8d12+16	+4	+0	Feat		18th	18d12+36	+9	+6
9th	9d12+18	+0	+3			19th	19d12+38	+0	+0
10th	10d12+20	+5	+0			20th	20d12+40	+10	+0	Feat

Undead Companion Basics: Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.

Class Level: The character’s necromancer level. The necromancer class levels are the base for determining the companion’s abilities and the alternative lists available to the character.

HD: Twelve-sided (d12) Hit Dice. Remember that Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An undead companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a necromancer of a level equal to the undead’s HD, the extra hit points indicated is from Undead Master bonus of +2 hp per Hit Die. An undead companion has good Will save and weak Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the undead’s HD). An undead companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

Natural Armor Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement to the undead companion’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str/Dex Adj.: Add this value to the undead companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

Int: If base undead creature is mindless undead it gains Int score equal 10. If base undead creature has intelligence score below 10, it increases to 10.

Link (Ex): A necromancer can give orders to his undead companion as a free action. undead companion understands any languages that his master speaks and obeys him as best as it can.

Dark Empowerment (Ex): If a necromancer possesses any feats or other extraordinary abilities that boost undead he creates, he may also apply these bonuses to the undead companion at the moment of its creation. These also include necromancer class skill - undead mastery. In addition, the undead companion also counts as a familiar.

Evasion (Ex): If an undead companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Multiattack: An undead companion gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the undead companion instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty.

Alternative undead Companions: A necromancer of sufficiently high level can select his undead companion from one of the following lists, applying the indicated adjustment to the necromancer’s level (in parentheses) for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities.

4th Level or Higher (Level –3) Skeleton, owlbear (undead) Zombie, bugbear (undead) Ghoul (undead) 7th Level or Higher (Level –6) Allip (undead) Ghast (undead) Shadow (undead) Skeleton, troll (undead) Wight (undead) Zombie, minotaur (undead) Zombie, ogre (undead) Zombie, wyvern (undead)	10th Level or Higher (Level –9) Skeleton, chimera (undead) Skeleton, ettin (undead) Mummy (undead) Vampire spawn (undead) Wraith (undead) 13th Level or Higher (Level –12) Skeleton, advanced megaraptor (undead) Skeleton, cloud giant (undead) Spectre (undead) Zombie, gray render (undead)	16th Level or Higher (Level –15) Mohrg (undead) Bodak (undead) Skeleton, young adult red dragon (undead) Shadow, greater (undead)

Ex-Necromancers

A Necromancer that doesn't want to sustain his link to the negative energy cannot gain levels in the Necromancer class and loses all special abilities and any spells from the necromancy school of magic.

Campaign Information

Playing a Necromancer

Religion: Necromancer usually worship Nerull, the god of death. They may also worship Vecna, Wee Jas or Hextor. Necromancers who worship Nerull are particularly ill-tempered, as Nerull supports his subjects slaughter, and provokes them to go on killing sprees to boost the undead militia they've created. Orcus is also a popular choice. Necromancers worshipping Orcus are usually adept at shifting planes of existence, and sacrificing in the name of their deity. Necromancers worshipping neutral or chaotic neutral deities are not uncommon, but necromancers worshiping good deities like Pelor, and Yondalla, are virtually unheard of.

Other Classes: A Necromancer gets along with evil clerics and sorcerers who study the Necromancy school. Chaotic barbarians and fighters help protect the necromancer while he animates waves of undead. Should any of his teammates be slain, a necromancer wouldn't think twice about animating their corpse to use as fodder.

Combat: The typical role in combat for a Necromancer is artillery, magical support, or bestowed effects, as well as animating dead tissue for fodder.

Advancement: A Necromancer may multi-class as a Pale Master (Prestige Class, Tome and Blood), a True Necromancer (Prestige Class, Tome and Blood), with enough training a BlackGuard (Prestige Class, DMG3.5), wizard, sorcerer, or a cleric. Necromancer druids are not unknown.

Necromancers in the World

“	Wow, a graveyard. How.... delightful.	”
—Devlin Ragner, Human 5th level Necromancer

Necromancers are the people who create undead in the world. They will usually have hidden undead bases or live in abandoned houses near a graveyard so they have protection. They will work as grave keepers with no troubles. Sometimes certain nobles will employ the services of necromancers. These more wealthy commonfolk could just need the employment of an undertaker, and more often than not, to either avenge or resurrect a loved one.

The Path of Transcendence: Ancient necrotic tomes describe a process of rituals and incantations that are said to prolong ones life, indefinitely, ultimately becoming a Lich. This idea is thrown around throughout necromancy, but never really covered as a topic. Few know of the power unleashed through a millennia of spellcraft, and these select few aren't willing to part with that knowledge.

Organizations: Necromancers do not assemble or meet in set places in fear of paladin attacks, but live in small communities tied to the main guild and are given orders from there. Freelancing Necromancers are given a choice to join, and if not, they are usually killed as the Necromancer Guild prefers that they are not blamed for the freelancers mistakes or problems. They refuse to help those who declined to join.

NPC Reactions: Good NPCs hate Necromancers, and will usually try to kill them if they find out. But evil NPCs take to them like a duck takes to water and will work with them. Rarely a necromancer's mere presence will animate dead flesh, but on a much lower scale, like a cat buried in the backyard of the bar they're in- these animated birds and pets usually end up becoming the necromancer's familiar. In time necromancers heal with negative energy, drawing them (if not physically, then spiritually) towards evil clerics and other characters who resonate pure evil.

Necromancer Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (History) or Knowledge (arcane) can research Necromancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC 10: Necromancers are adept at animating and summoning undead, and many necromancers are skilled in casting disease and plague on their enemies.

DC 15: Necromancers can voluntarily become a Lich, and expand their life indefinately. And if there are any powerful necromancers in their general area, like "You heard from a suspicious figure in a bar that in the mountains to the north (or wherever) strange dark purple lights have been sighted, and the sound of screams can be heard there."

DC 20: "While concentrating on your thought, suddenly a cry for help dashes out of the nearest woods, and groups of civilians are seen running from what looks like walking skeletons!" With this check you learn where the latest undead attack has been seen, this does not imply it was direct necromancer contact, but the undead were exhibiting strange, almost controlled actions.

DC 25: Youve heard through the grapevine that there was an attack on a village a day ago. The village has had problems with undead rising from their graves and walking off, and a strange man has been spotted in the village who looks very old, and smells of embalming fluid. In the same night men, women, and children were savagely attacked by their deceased loved ones.

Based off the works of the Author of the Nercromancer class. Slightly modified.

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