Necromedic (5e Class)

Necromedic

The necromedic is a master of death’s delicate balance, manipulating the thin veil between life and death. Once a healer, they have embraced the shadows after tragedy struck too often, turning to necrotic forces to protect and empower those around them while weakening their enemies. Their powers stem from the darker corners of the world, where light barely touches, and they are feared for their ability to command the dead and warp the fates of the living.

Creating a Necromedic

The necromedic's strengths lie in manipulating the forces of death to bolster their allies and control the battlefield. They summon and raise undead minions, commanding them to engage enemies and occupy space, while also possessing the power to cast a diverse array of necromancy spells.

While formidable spellcasters, necromedics are not built for durability in physical combat. Instead, they excel at crowd control, using their dark magic to curse foes and weaken their resolve. As they animate the fallen, their undead minions serve as both a shield and a weapon, allowing their teammates to exploit openings in the enemy's defenses. This class thrives in orchestrating complex strategies, utilizing the dead to turn the tide of battle in their favor while ensuring their companions can fight unhindered by the threat of overwhelming numbers.

Quick Build

You can make a necromedic quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Haunted One background. Third, choose Battle Scythe, Studded Leather Armor, and either equipment pack.

Class Features

As a Necromedic you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

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

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, Medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, Scythes
Tools: Healer's Kit
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Medicine, Religion, Insight, Deception, Intimidation.

Equipment

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

• (a) a battle scythe or (b) two daggers
• (a) studded leather armor or (b) hide armor
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• arcane focus (ancient tome)

Table: The Necromedic

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Necrotic Infusion	2	2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Necromedic Path	2	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Undead Minion	2	4	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	5	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Death’s Embrace	3	6	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Path feature	3	7	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	Aura of Decay	3	8	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	9	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	Shadows of the Past	3	10	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Path feature	4	11	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	Undead Minions	4	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	—	4	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	Path feature	4	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	—	4	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Shadow Rebirth	4	15	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	15	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Soulbinding Aura	4	15	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Spellcasting

You consume the energy of lost souls in the world to fuel your spells.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know 2 cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list or School of Necromancy. You learn additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Necromedic table.

Spell Slots

The Necromedic table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your 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 false life and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast false life using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the cleric spell list or any spell from the School of Necromancy.

The Spells Known column of the Necromedic table shows when you learn more necromedic spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. 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 necromedic spells you know and replace it with another spell from the cleric spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your necromedic spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a necromedic spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

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

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a necromedic spell as a ritual if it is a spell you know and that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your necromedic spells.

Necrotic Infusion

Starting at 1st level, you can channel your healing through necrotic energy, restoring life in a twisted way. When you heal an ally, you can choose to also give them temporary hit points equal to half the healing provided.

Necromedic Path

At second level, you chose a path of dark lifeforces. Choose between Path of the Gravewalker, or Path of the Soulbinder, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Undead Minion

After saving someone who has long passed, you learned the art of raising the dead. At 3rd level, you can summon a skeleton servant as an action. The servant rises up from your shadow and lasts for 1 hour or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. The servant receives additional hit points equal to your Necromedic level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

At 5th level, the servant can attack twice, instead of once, whenever they take the Attack action on their turn.

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.

Death’s Embrace

Starting at 5th level, your necrotic magic can now bypass resistance. When you deal necrotic damage to a creature, you ignore its resistance to necrotic damage, and if it is immune, it takes half damage instead of none.

Aura of Decay

At 7th level, your presence weakens those around you. As a bonus action, you can exude an aura of decay in a 10-foot radius. Enemies within this aura have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws and take 1d6 necrotic damage at the start of their turn. The aura lasts for 1 minute and can be used once per short rest.

Shadows of the Past

At 9th level, your connection to death allows you to glimpse into a creature's past life. When you heal an ally, you can give them advantage on their next attack roll or saving throw as visions of past battles guide them.

Undead Minions

At 11th level, your hold over undead strengthens, allowing you to summon two skeleton servants when you use Undead Minion. The servants are embued with some of your necrotic power, giving them resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing, and allowing their attacks to deal necrotic damage instead.

Cloak of the Soul

At 18th level, you gain the ability to cloak yourself in necrotic energy and shadows, becoming a near-untouchable force on the battlefield. As a bonus action, you can shroud yourself in a dark aura for 1 minute. While in this form, you gain the following benefits:

You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

Any creature that hits you with a melee attack takes necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).

You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you must end your turn in an unoccupied space.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Soulbinding Aura

At 20th level, your control over the forces of life and death reaches its pinnacle, granting you the following benefits:

Once per long rest, you can cast True Resurrection without expending a spell slot. When you do so, the target rises as a shadowy form of their original self, gaining resistance to non-magical attacks for 1 hour. After an hour, they return to their original form, but are forever scarred by shadows.

You emanate an aura of deathly power that extends 60 feet from you. Any enemy that dies within this aura has its soul temporarily bound to you, and you regain hit points equal to your Necromedic level by consuming part of their soul.

Path of the Gravewalker

The Path of the Gravewalker focuses on commanding the dead and summoning shadowy minions to do your bidding. These necromancers harness the restless spirits of the deceased, turning fallen enemies into spectral allies and using the forces of death to control the battlefield. Gravewalkers excel at summoning undead, maintaining a strong presence through their minions, and weakening enemies with necrotic energy.

Grasp of the Grave

Beginning at 2nd level, you can manipulate the life force of your enemies, weakening them for your allies to strike. As an action, choose one creature within 30 feet. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack or saving throw and take 1d6 necrotic damage.

Soulstealer Minion

At 6th level, when a creature dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to temporarily steal its soul, raising it as a spectral minion under your control. The minion is a shadowy figure with hit points equal to half your maximum HP. It has a single attack that deals 1d8 necrotic damage to a target within 5 feet. The minion adds your proficiency bonus to its attack rolls. The minion lasts until it drops to 0 hit points, you can only have one spectral minion at a time.

At 10th level, the minion gains an extra attack and resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. At 14th level, the minion can phase through solid objects, gaining the ability to move through walls, but it can’t end its turn inside solid matter.

Aura of Dread

When you reach 10th level, your connection to death radiates a palpable aura that unnerves those around you. As an action, you can activate an aura that extends 30 feet from you for 1 minute. Any hostile creature that starts its turn within the aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of its next turn.

Additionally, allies within the aura gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Death's Embrace

At 14th level, you gain the ability to briefly cheat death. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to drop to 1 hit point instead. When you do this, your spectral minion, if active, immediately teleports to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you and becomes empowered, gaining temporary hit points equal to your necromedic level.

Additionally, for the next minute, your necrotic damage ignores immunity, and your attacks deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Path of the Soulbinder

The Path of the Soulbinder emphasizes the manipulation of life forces, draining vitality from enemies to heal and empower allies. Soulbinders can bind the souls of their foes, sapping their mental and physical strength, while using that stolen energy to protect their companions. These necromedics specialize in life transference, melding both necromancy and healing, becoming a balance of destruction and preservation.

Soulbinder Spell List

Necromedic Level	Spells
3rd	Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds
5th	Ray of Enfeeblement, Lesser Restoration
9th	Life Transference, Bestow Curse
13th	Blight, Aura of Life
17th	Raise Dead, Enervation

Mind Drain

At 2nd level, when you deal necrotic damage to a creature, you can use your reaction to drain its mental fortitude and make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you can roll a d4 and reduce either its Strength, Intelligence, or Wisdom score by the number rolled. The reduction lasts until the target takes a short or long rest. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, rounded down. You regain all uses of this feature after a long rest.

If this feature reduces one of the target's ability scores to 0, the creature falls unconscious or becomes catatonic.

At 6th level, the die changes to a d6. At 10th level, it changes to a d8, and at 14th level, it changes to a d10.

Vitality Stealer

At 6th level, you gain the ability to siphon life energy from your enemies and use it to heal your allies. When you deal necrotic damage to a creature, you can choose an ally within 30 feet of you. That ally regains hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt (rounded down).

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and regain all uses after a long rest.

Soulbinding Chains

At 10th level, your mastery over life force allows you to create ethereal chains that tether your enemies’ vitality to you. As an action, you can target a creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is bound to you for 1 minute, during which time you can use a bonus action to either:

Drain Vitality: Deal 2d8 necrotic damage to the target and regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Transfer Vitality: The target takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and a creature of your choice within 60 feet regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Each time you use Drain Vitality or Transfer Vitality, the target may roll a Wisdom saving throw to break free of the chains. This effect ends early if the target is reduced to 0 hit points or if you are incapacitated.

Master of Life and Death

At 14th level, you can momentarily defy death itself by preserving life forces. When a creature within 60 feet of you (including yourself) drops to 0 hit points but is not killed outright, you can use your reaction to immediately restore hit points equal to your Necromedic level + your Charisma modifier. You can use this feature once per long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the necromedic class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Wisdom

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the necromedic class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, scythes.

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