Necromancer (2026)

Bind the Dead to Your Will

You have learned to master the threshold between life and death, drawing on the energy that animates all creatures to fuel your magic and command the newly Undead. Other Wizards look at a corpse and see an ending. You look at that same corpse and see a brand new beginning: an expendable soldier, a scout who never tires, or a companion you refuse to let go.

Necromancers are regarded with suspicion in most societies, considering manipulation of the dead to be taboo. That what must go to the grave should stay there.

But it's your call that the dead have learned to flock to. What you choose to make of that is yours to decide, and yours alone.

Level 3: Necromancy Savant

Choose two Wizard spells from the Necromancy school, each no higher than 2nd level. They're added to your spellbook for free.

Whenever you gain access to a new level of spell slots in this class, you can add one Wizard spell from the Necromancy school to your spellbook for free, provided it's of a level you can cast.

Level 3: Grave Bond

The necromantic secrets in your spellbook grant you the following benefits:

Necrotic Resistance. You have Resistance to Necrotic damage.

Undead Familiar. The Find Familiar spell is added to your spellbook. When you cast it, you may choose a Skeleton or a Zombie as your familiar's form, in addition to the spell's normal options (see the Monster Manual for stat blocks).

The Bond. Whenever you create or reassert control over an Undead using a Necromancy spell (such as Animate Dead), you choose, for that creature, whether it becomes a Thrall or a Retainer:

• Thrall. A Thrall behaves as the spell describes, remaining under your control for 24 hours and requiring a fresh casting to persist beyond that. Thralls are numerous and easily replaced; you may have any number your spells allow. Additionally, you can cast Animate Dead as a Ritual whenever every Undead it would create or reassert control over is a Thrall: you don't expend a spell slot, though the casting takes 10 minutes longer.
• Retainer. A Retainer is bonded to you. It doesn't require recasting to remain under your control, persisting until it's destroyed or you release the bond. It grows in capability as you gain levels in this class. You may have only a limited number of Retainers bonded at once, as shown below. If a Retainer is destroyed, the bond is freed, but nothing is refunded: a newly bonded Retainer begins with none of its predecessor's growth.

Chosen Remains. You aren't limited to a Skeleton or Zombie raised from humanoid remains. Whenever you raise a Thrall or bond a Retainer, you may instead use the remains of any Small or Medium creature with a suitable corpse available, choosing any Undead stat block whose Challenge Rating doesn't exceed your limit for that creature type, given below. Your DM determines what remains are suitable for a given stat block be it the bones of a warhorse for a mount-worthy Skeleton, a raven's corpse for something small and airborne, and so on.

Necromancer Level	Retainer CR Cap	THRALL CR CAP	Retainers Bonded
3rd	1	1/2	1
6th	2	1	1
10th	4	2	2
14th	5	3	3

 

Whenever you bond a Retainer, you may decide it retains fragments of memory and speech from its former life, able to hold a limited conversation and express simple opinions. This choice can be changed whenever you reassert your bond with it. Thralls never retain memory or speech, regardless of what they're raised from.

Grave Sight. While you have line of sight to an Undead you control, you can't be surprised in combat. As a free action on your turn, you can perceive through the senses of one Undead you control that isn't blinded or deafened.

Last Words. As a ritual, you can spend 1 minute communing with a corpse you touch, whether or not you intend to raise it. You sense the emotional truth of its final moment be it fear, peace, rage, regret, whatever it was but gain no factual information about the manner of its death or anything it knew in life.

 

Level 6: Bonded Growth

Your command over death deepens. You gain the following benefits.

Shared Strength. Any Undead you create or reassert control over with a Necromancy spell gains a bonus to its Hit Point maximum equal to your Wizard level and adds your Proficiency Bonus to its weapon damage. Whenever two or more of your Undead in different Chosen Remains forms are within 5 feet of the same enemy, that enemy takes an extra 1d6 damage the first time it's hit by one of your Undead each round.

Independent Will. Your Retainers grow beyond simple commands. Each Retainer gains proficiency in one skill or saving throw of your choice, chosen when it's bonded and changeable whenever you reassert your bond with it. It can act on its own initiative in combat, taking the Dodge, Help, or a basic weapon attack action without your command, in addition to anything you direct it to do.

Close Command. You can command a Retainer within 30 feet of you at no action cost. You can also command any Undead you control (Retainer or Thrall) using your Reaction once per round, in addition to the Bonus Action your spell already grants.

Mark for the Grave. As a Bonus Action, you designate one creature you can see. Until the start of your next turn, your Undead have advantage on attack rolls against it.

Level 10: Vital Harvest

Whenever a creature dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to regain Hit Points equal to 5d8 plus your Intelligence modifier. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Grim Rally. Whenever a bonded Retainer is destroyed, each other Undead you control gains a bonus to its next damage roll equal to your Proficiency Bonus, until the end of your next turn.

Your Retainer CR limit increases to 4, your Thrall CR limit increases to 2, and you may have up to 2 Retainers bonded at once.

 

Level 14: Sovereign of the Dead

Once per Long Rest, choose one:

Muster the Legion. As an Action, you animate additional Thralls beyond what your spell slot allows, drawing on every corpse or pile of bones within 60 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Proficiency Bonus

Apotheosis. Choose one bonded Retainer. Its Hit Point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Wizard level, it gains a Reaction it can use independently of you, and it is no longer a generic Skeleton or Zombie in anything but name; work with your DM to reflect its growth in its stat block. Your Vital Harvest heals 7d8 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Your Retainer CR limit increases to 5, your Thrall CR limit increases to 3, and you may have up to 3 Retainers bonded at once.