THE NECROMANCER

Necromancers are spell-casters who specialize in necromantic magic. Their spells deal with the raising of the dead and the summoning and control of various undead creatures for their purposes. Calling on the spirits of the dead, and even death itself, they are able to overpower enemies and assist allies. Dead enemies become unwilling allies in their hands. Their knowledge of the unknown allows them to face death without fear.

The necromancer class is a supplemental class added to a human cleric or human magic-user once the prerequisites are achieved. Once a 4th level cleric or magic-user attains enough experience, they can choose to become a 5th level necromancer. They retain all their abilities they gained previously but progress there-after as a necromancer.

Because they deal with undeath as a matter of course, necromancers are never Good, and although most are Evil, a nihilistic few are Neutral.

While necromancers are more limited in their spell casting power or choices than clerics or magic-users, they have access to spells across both classes. These are provided through study and black rites as noted.

Thus, a necromancer gains clerical spells through minor sacrifices and/or dealing with spirits of the dead and keeps a necromantic tome for magic-type spells. Thus, no matter the starting class of the necromancer, they will have access to the full list of necromancer spells as long as they follow the proscribed procedures. Spells of each type (clerical and magic) are noted on the necromancer spell list. Once a cleric becomes a necromancer they will no longer be granted access to the full clerical spell list and must select from only those spells on the necromancer list. Likewise, a magic-user becoming a necromancer will sacrifice (not sell for profit) any magic spells possessed in their spell book not on the necromancer list.

Necromancers are better combatants than magic-users but their forte is to stay in the back, directing their undead minions to fight on their behalf.

BECOMING A NECROMANCER

Declaration. As soon as a human magic-user or cleric of a deity venerating death (or similar domain) trains to achieve 4th level, they must declare intent to become a necromancer.

Mentor. During the character’s progress through 5th level, they must seek out a necromancer, a magic-user (of at least 10th level), or a high priest of their death deity to become their mentor to show them the way of the necromancer.

Experience. When a character that meets all the prerequisites advances to 4th level, they will begin preparation for becoming a necromancer. They must forfeit any extra XP gained when advancing to 5th level. They must then earn 22,501 XP to advance into the necromancer class at 5th level.

Training. Training to 5th level is the normal expense for gaining a level. Going forward, training rules (for self-training, etc.) are as per a cleric or magic-user—dependent upon starting class.

Limitations. See Necromancer Limitations below.

NECROMANCER PREREQUISITES

• Race. Human (only)

• Minimum Ability Scores. Strength (9), Intelligence (15), Dexterity (12), and Constitution (14)

• Maximum Ability Scores. Charisma (9)

• Alignment. Any non-Good

• Class and Level. Single-class cleric of a death domain deity (4th) or single-class magic-user (4th); Cannot be above or below this level; Cannot be or become dual-classed.

• Training. See Training above.

NECROMANCER STATISTICS

• Prime Requisite. None

• Minimum/Maximum Ability Scores. See prerequisites above.

• Hit Dice. d6; Maximum 7d6 added to their previous hit dice. Self-train (11th)

• Hit Points. Each level beginning with 5th, you gain 1d6 hp if you roll for hit points or you can gain 3.5 hit points without rolling. The 0.5 hit points will carry over. After 11th, you gain 1 + Con modifier per level.

• Alignment Restrictions. Any non-Good alignment.

• Player Character Races. Human (U)

• Armor and Shield. Magical leather armor (only). Class abilities will not work if employing a shield.

• Weapon Proficiencies. Initial add 1 at 5th level; Penalty -3; Additional at 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th.

• Weapons Allowed. Any the character was previously proficient in and only club, dagger, javelin, scimitar, scythe, sickle, sling, and staff going forward.

• Attack Table. Use the Priest Attack Table.

NECROMANCER LIMITATIONS

While no special abilities are lost when becoming a necromancer, clerics will always affect undead by commanding rather than turning and necromancers cannot make holy or unholy water. A cleric that changes deities suffers the regular (negative) effects of this action. Upon becoming a necromancer, a cleric will no longer take up the use of a shield or metal armor (or they will lose necromancer class abilities while doing so).

Spell Limitations. The necromancer can only cast spells contained on the necromancer spell list. 

Magic Item Use. Necromancers may only wear magical leather armor or no armor at all but will use rings, cloaks and jewelry (rings) of protection, including bracers of defense. Necromancers may employ all potions, except for those that control living things and those that can only be used by fighters. They can use spell scrolls if the spell is included in their list as well as protection scrolls. Rings usable by necromancers are: feather fall, fire resistance, free action, invisibility, protection, regeneration, spell turning, warmth, and X-ray vision. All other rings will not function on them unless they somehow affect the undead. Necromancers may use a staff of withering and wands of fear, magic detection, negation, and paralyzation. A few miscellaneous magic items can be used, including: alchemy jug, amulet of life protection, amulet of the planes, beaker of plentiful potions, brooch of shielding, cloak of protection, cube of force, cubic gate, dust of all types, helm of comprehending languages, Keegan’s ointment, Novron’s marvelous pigments, all phylacteries, all scarabs, and a sphere of annihilation.

ANIMATE DEAD

Animate Dead. A necromancer that casts an animate dead spell will affect double the normal number of undead (or twice the hit dice for higher hit die skeletons or zombies).

COMMAND UNDEAD

Command Undead. A necromancer may command undead as a cleric of their necromancer level. Necromancers never affect demons or devils.

SPELLS

Spells. Necromancers gain access to a combination of priest and mage spells. Thus the number of spells per day in the table can be used for either type as desired. Priest spells are noted in italics in the list and these may be selected and accessed each day in a similar manner as a cleric. Thus, the necromancer will complete a short ritual each morning and select spells from the list using up slots as noted. Mage spells (not in italics) must be first located or designed, then written into a tome of necromantic spells. This procedure follows the same rules as a magic-user including the process for acquisition of spells beyond 1st level, costs for scribing, and the handling of the physical book itself. Spells found with the same name, whether magic-user or illusionist, may be scribed into a necromancers tome and converted into their particular spell type. Through study and rituals, a necromancer will gain the ability to decode illusionist script for the spells contained on their list. It is important to note that necromancers do not receive any special benefit during their training as it pertains to spell books or spells. So a cleric becoming a necromancer must, at material expense to themselves, purchase a spell book, acquire magical spells, and scribe them for later use. Thus, there is a (small) benefit to beginning a career as a magic-user.

Ability Score Effects on Spells. As with clerics, necromancers will have a spell failure chance for low Wisdom and bonus spells granted for high Wisdom. However, Wisdom only affects priest spells thusly. Necromancers must have a 17 ability score to access 6th level spells and an 18 ability score to access 7th level spells. The ability score is Intelligence for mage spells and Wisdom for priest spells.

Spells in Reverse. While it is technically possible for a Neutral necromancer to cast his or her clerical spells without reversing them, this should be done rarely as the necromancer’s idiom is more “woe” than “weal” as it were (unless the GM rules otherwise due to the necromancer's deity for example). Each instance will add a performance rating mark (see Character Classes, Gaining Levels).

Minor Spell Changes. The GM will work with the necromancer player to make non-material, minor updates to spell descriptions to match the necromantic flavor of the class. For example, augury will be performed with bones or entrails, while a spiritual weapon spell may take the form of a ghostly scythe.

NECROMANCER SPELL LIST

Spells in italics are clerical spells. Spells noted with a "(R)" may also be cast with a reverse effect.

SPONTANEOUS CASTING

Cast Spontaneous Spell. [incantation] (declared; casting time and spell components as per the replaced spell)

A necromancer can channel stored spell energy into cause wounds spells that he or she did not prepare ahead of time. The necromancer can “trade” any prepared spell in order to cast (as an incantation) any cause wounds spell of the same spell level or lower. If a higher level spell (over 1st) is used to spontaneously cast a cause light wounds, the spell will gain a bonus of 1 point per cleric caster level. Only clerical spells can be used for spontaneous casting.

Heal Undead. A necromancer can use a spontaneously cast cause wounds spell to cure undead of damage as if the spell were a cure wounds spell.

UNDEAD SUMMONER

Undead Summoner. Necromancers, when scribing a summon monster spell into their tome, will mutate the spell so that it summons only undead creatures. All other spell statistics remain the same. The spells will summon the following creatures as desired by the necromancer (they must pick one group and then dice for the number appearing).

• • Summon Monster I. Skeletons (normal, 2d4) or zombies (normal, 1d4).

  • Summon Monster II. Skeletons (ogre, 1d2) or zombies (normal 2d4).

  • Summon Monster III. Ghouls (1d4) or zombies (juju, 1d4).

  • Summon Monster IV. Ghasts (1d4), zombies (monster, 1d4+1), or worm walkers (1d2).

  • Summon Monster V. Wights (1d2) or a wraith (1).

  • Summon Monster VI. Mummys (1d2) or a spectre (1)

CREATE UNDEAD

Create Undead. A beginning at 2nd level, necromancer may concoct special salves, fluids, and unguents to be applied to a (whole) deceased body to create powerful undead minions of the type and number specified. The expense is 500 g.p. per hit dice of undead in materials and one week to acquire and prepare the fluids (one large flask per body is required and up to six flasks may be concocted per week). A body can then be transformed in one full day of uninterrupted activity.

Once the undead is created, it will act according to the will of the necromancer based upon it’s intelligence. Otherwise, the undead will follow the necromancer until they are destroyed (there is typically no way to heal the undead unless the undead can regenerate). When a created undead minion is destroyed, another can be made to take its place using the process above.

Beginning at 6th level, the necromancer can create one juju zombie guardian. Each time the necromancer is granted the ability to create another type of undead, they may also create one more from the previous types of undead created. For example, at 9th level, a necromancer can create a wight and two juju zombie guardians. A 12th level necromancer can create a ghast, two wights, and three juju zombies. 

Any undead spawned by a created undead’s energy drain attack (or due to dying from an attack) become free willed half-strength undead (the necromancer’s control breaks the normal process of controlling spawn).

Death Knight. Creating a death knight requires a living fallen paladin of at least 9th level that agrees to participate in the ritual (the ritual will result in their death). The cost is triple normal cost and consumes 1 week of time.

IMMUNITY TO FEAR

Immunity to Fear. A necromancer of 7th level or higher is immune to all fear effects from any source.

IDENTIFY UNDEAD

Identify Undead. (complex) A necromancer of 8th level or higher can correctly identify any undead that he or she can observe for 1 round. As part of the identification, the necromancer will know the major abilities of the creature’s type (but not any unique abilities or class levels).

IMMUNITY TO PARALYSIS

Immunity to Paralysis. A necromancer of 10th level or higher is immune to any paralysis effects bestowed by undead creatures.

IMMUNITY TO STRENGTH DRAIN

Immunity to Strength Drain. A necromancer of 10th level or higher is immune to any strength draining effects bestowed by undead creatures.

RESISTANCE TO SLEEP AND CHARM

Resistance to Sleep and Charm. A necromancer of 10th level or higher has a 50% resistance to sleep or charm effects. Even if this resistance is overcome, the necromancer will still have access to any saving throws allowed.

IMMUNITY TO LEVEL OR ENERGY DRAIN

Immunity to Level or Energy Drain. A necromancer of 11th level is immune to all life level drain or energy drain effects from any source.

NECROMANCER

Necromancer. A necromancer has achieved known mastery over the undead. Intelligent undead that are higher hit dice than the necromancer will consider command undead requests with a +40% adjustment to reaction checks. Even if not commanded, a necromancer receives a +25% adjustment to reaction checks when dealing with intelligent undead. Most necromancers of this level will establish a base of operations which includes a large graveyard.

IMMUNE TO AGING EFFECTS

Immune to Aging Effects. A necromancer of 16th level or higher is immune to magical or supernatural aging effects from any source. A necromancer will continue to age normally.

DEATH MAGE

Death Mage. A necromancer that achieves death mage status gains certain attributes normally ascribed to the undead. They gain immunity to charm, command, hypnotism, sleep, suggestion and effects that are like these spells. A death mage is also immune to poison of any kind. If evil, a death mage radiates overwhelming evil. A death mage can become a lich assuming they follow the proscribed process.

HENCHMEN AND HIRELINGS

The necromancer may only have hirelings and henchmen who are not Good. Such henchmen are the Evil or Neutral outcasts of their own races (humans, or demi-humans, as well as any Evil humanoids), often fleeing for their lives because of some atrocity they have performed. Good-aligned classes will never be hirelings or henchmen for a necromancer.

Some Evil tribes of humanoids revere the necromancer, since he can produce armies of undead types to aid them on their missions. The necromancer can thus give the tribal witch doctor (and in some few cases the shaman) control of some animated undead (produced by the spell). 

Such undead must be basically mindless and all of the same type—normal skeletons or zombies only. The undead controlled by the witch doctor or shaman may be up to five times his level in hit dice; for instance, a gnoll witch doctor of 5th level can command, by proxy, 25 hit dice of undead. Any undead commanded in this manner can be taken over again by the necromancer any time he or she desires to do so.