Necromancer Class

Necromancer Class:

    A pale, frail-looking woman seemingly at the edge of death grits her teeth as the beast charges her. She holds out a hand, and as the beast makes contact, a blossom of energy explodes from the creature’s chest, tendrils of smoky energy swirling into the woman’s outstretched fingers. The creature withers like a dried plant and falls slain, the woman’s color and vitality suddenly restored as if she were twenty years younger.
    A scholarly, gaunt figure perches at the edge of the orcs’ camp, outnumbered dozens of times by savages that could tear him limb from limb with their bare hands. He fears nothing, however – he has seen too much. He raises an arm and the ground swells at his feet with writhing faces and hands, ghastly undead rising by the tens to do his bidding. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he commands his legion to do their worst, and vanishes like a ghost to supervise them from afar.
    The young man is but a novice to his new trade, but his will parallels that of his betters. Faced with a veteran fighter that has learned the boy’s secrets and vowed to end him, he swirls a hand, and with the charismatic force of youth he utters a dreadful, blighting word. The Weave itself quivers and the fighter screams, his vision clouded with nightmarish visions as his legs give out and his world is swallowed in pain.

    Necromancy is an oft misunderstood and dreaded practice, but to those who have taken up this path, secrets and wonders that the world has kept hidden come forward to share themselves. Tuned into the Essence, the spiritual lifeblood that suffuses all living and animated things, Necromancers learn to manipulate the ebb and flow of this abundant natural energy, introducing artistry and control to the otherwise mystified and frightening processes of life and death. Be it stealing life, raising droves of the dead or cursing their foes, Necromancers wield truly awe-inspiring and deadly magics.

    Feared and Reviled –
    Necromancers are regarded with more than their fair share of mistrust and revulsion, and in many places the suspicion of their activities is enough to warrant death. However, many Necromancers choose to lead simple, lawful lives. Scholars and mages that seek to understand the soul and its connection to the body fall into this category, as do the morticians and undertakers that seek answers, and to preserve and honor the flesh they tend to. Adventuring Necromancers are rare, but in a dangerous world filled with life and death struggles, what better laboratory is there to study their craft?

    The Lesser Evil –
    No matter the intentions, there can be no doubt that what a Necromancer does dabbles in the darker sides of magic, creating creatures that without tight supervision can cause havoc and indiscriminate destruction. Not all Necromancers are necessarily evil, but what they practice can never be considered righteous and good. However, when Gods dabble, Devils connive and Demons rampage across the lands, the Necromancer understands that they need all the power they can get to bring to heel the truer, more dangerous evils that threaten to upset the balance of the world.

    Creating a Necromancer –
    It is almost assured that something terrible has happened in a Necromancer’s life to mold them. With their dark reputation and misunderstood pursuits, there comes a certain amount of danger from a Necromancer’s fellow man, but this has not deterred them. What made Necromancy attractive to them? Do they seek to understand their own soul, and its more intimate nature? Did they lose someone close to them, and aspire to bring them back by any means necessary? Did they have a close scrape with death, and an unhealthy obsession to understand it has led them to this path? Did they make an outrageously powerful discovery, but fear to share it with others for its darker nature? Were they trained in Necromancy by an older mage, caretaker, cleric or mortician, and seek to expand on that knowledge? Are they legitimately attracted to the science of death, or are they thirsty for the power it holds? Do they openly practice their craft, or are they furtively studying their trade for fear of discovery? These are all questions that one must ask and answer before becoming a Necromancer.

    Spellcasting –
Studying the Essence has in some way led you to discovering a way to manipulate it. As you learn new techniques and spells, you’ll copy them into your Grimoire.

    Grimoire –
    Like any self-respecting mage would, your Necromancer keeps their research into Essence and the Weave in a precious tome or collection of notes that they call their Grimoire. In it is their custom shorthand, their discoveries and applications, their research techniques and outcomes, and the dreams they aspire to achieve. As you learn spells and create Curses, your Necromancer copies them into their Grimoire and practices casting them until they’ve achieved mastery. Your Necromancer starts level 1 with two 1 level spells of their choice, and two cantrips. Cantrips remain fixed in your mind and do not need to be written in your Grimoire to be used.

    When you find a spell of 1 level or higher, you can copy it into your Grimoire if it is a level you can prepare, and if you can spare the time to decipher, copy and study it. You must reproduce the basic form of the spell, then decipher the notation used by the person that created it. You must practice the spell until you understand all the components and gestures, then transcribe it into your Grimoire using your own notation.

    For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and 50gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.

    You can copy a spell from your Grimoire into another spell book, for example, if you want to make a backup copy. This is just like copying a new spell into your Grimoire, but faster and easier because you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need only spend 1 hour and 10gp for each level of the copied spell.

    Preparing and Casting Spells –
    The Necromancer table shows you how many spell slots you have to cast spells of 1 level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must consume a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

    You prepare the list of Necromancer spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of Necromancer spells from your Grimoire equal to your Charisma modifier + your Necromancer level. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

    You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of spells requires time spent studying your Grimoire and memorizing the verbal, somatic and material components you must use to cast the spell: at least one minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Necromancer Table -                                                                                                                      - Spell Slots by Level -

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Maximum Controllable Undead	Features	Cantrips Known	Essence Points	Spells Known	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	+2	0	Spellcasting, Life Tap	2	1 +CHA	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	+2	0	Occult Feature, Rebuke Undead	2	2 +CHA	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	+2	0	Malevolent Essence, 2 Curses	2	3 +CHA	4	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	+2	0	Ability Score Increase	3	4 +CHA	5	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	+3	2	Life Tap Improvement, Malevolent Essence Improvement, Spontaneous Unburial	3	5 +CHA	6	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	+3	3	Occult Feature, 2 Curses	3	6 +CHA	7	4	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	+3	3	Animate Major Undead, Command Undead	3	7 +CHA	8	4	3	3	1	-	-	-	-	-
8	+3	4	Ability Score Increase	4	8 +CHA	9	4	3	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
9	+4	4	Fortify Undead, Spontaneous Unburial Improvement	4	9 +CHA	10	4	3	3	3	1	-	-	-	-
10	+4	5	Animator Style, Occult Feature, 2 Curses	4	10 +CHA	11	4	3	3	3	2	-	-	-	-
11	+4	5	Life Tap Improvement, Animate Major Undead Improvement, Ritualistic Unburial	4	11 +CHA	12	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
12	+4	6	Ability Score Increase, Compel Undead	5	12 +CHA	13	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
13	+5	6	Malevolent Essence Improvement, Spontaneous Unburial Improvement	5	13 +CHA	14	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
14	+5	7	Grave Keeper, Occult Feature, 2 Curses	5	14 +CHA	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
15	+5	7	Animate Major Undead Improvement	5	15 +CHA	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
16	+5	8	Ability Score Increase	5	16 +CHA	17	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
17	+6	8	Life Tap Improvement	5	17 +CHA	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18	+6	9	Macabre	5	18 +CHA	19	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19	+6	9	Ability Score Increase, Malevolent Essence Improvement, Animate Major Undead Improvement, Destroy Undead	5	19 +CHA	20	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20	+6	10	Capstone Choice	5	20 +CHA	21	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

 

    Spellcasting Ability –
    Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Necromancer spells, as it is your force of will and personality that influences your magics into being. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the DC for a Necromancer spell you cast, and when making an attack with one.

Spellcasting Ability: Charisma
Spell Save DC: 8 + Proficiency + Charisma Modifier
Spell Attack Modifier: Your Proficiency Bonus + Your Charisma Modifier

Hit Points:
    Hit Dice: 1D6 per Necromancer level
    1 level: 6 + Constitution modifier
    Higher levels: 1D6 + Constitution modifier per Necromancer level after 1.

Proficiencies:
    Armor: Light Armor
    Weapons: Simple Weapons
    Tools: Embalming Tools
    Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
    Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, and Religion.

Equipment:
    - (a) a crescent scythe or (b) two daggers
    - (a) leather armor or (b) padded armor
    - (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
    - Spellcasting focus.

Lvl 1: Essence Points: Starting at 1 level, Your Necromancer gains a number of Essence points equal to their Necromancer level + Charisma modifier that they can spend in a variety of ways. Essence points fuel the class, and are restored at the end of a long rest. Additionally, half your maximum number of Essence points, rounded down, are restored at the end of a short rest. You cannot have more Essence points than your Necromancer level + Charisma modifier at a time. If your Necromancer so chooses, as a bonus action they may sacrifice a spell slot to gain twice the number of Essence points. (Example: A second level spell slot grants four Essence points, a third level spell slot grants six, etc.) However, your Necromancer may not exchange Essence points for spell slots.

Lvl 1: Life Tap: Starting at 1 level, your touch can siphon the life force of others to bolster your own. As an action, you can make a melee spell attack against a living creature, dealing necrotic damage equal to 1D8 + your Charisma modifier on a hit. You gain temporary hit points equal to the amount of necrotic damage dealt. If this feature kills the creature, you instead gain whatever health the creature had left doubled as temporary hit points. The damage increases by 1D8 when you reach 5 level (2D8), 11 level (3D8), and 17 level (4D8). Your Necromancer consumes 1 Essence point to use this feature. Alternatively, your Necromancer may spend 2 Essence points to use Life Tap as a bonus action. You may not use Life Tap twice in one round.

    This feature may also be used to either siphon the life force of a willing creature to yourself, or gift your own life force to a willing creature. The amount of this siphoning is equal to the damage that can be dealt by Life Tap, and improves in strength at the same level milestones. In this way, an 11 level Necromancer may choose to gift 3D8 of their own health to an unconscious ally to save them in a dire situation. When using this feature to transfer health to or from a willing creature, your Necromancer may choose to siphon using lesser damage dice, and/or fewer dice (Ex: 2D6, or 1D4, etc.).

Lvl 2: Rebuke Undead: Your Necromancer’s fledgling mastery manipulating the undead begins to manifest. As an action, at the cost of 1 Essence point per enemy, your Necromancer may target a number of undead creatures up to their Charisma modifier and subject them to a Wisdom Saving Throw with a DC equal to their spell save DC. On a success, nothing happens. On a failure, the targeted undead are Rebuked.

    When Rebuked, an undead creature may not target the Necromancer that Rebuked them with attacks or spells, including those that deal area damage if the Necromancer would be affected. Additionally, the Rebuked undead must spend its movement each turn fleeing the Necromancer until they no longer have line of sight to the Necromancer that Rebuked them. This effect lasts either a minute, or until the Rebuked undead take any damage.

    Occult: Your Necromancer further uses this level to choose a variant of Occult and receive their first Feature from it. They may choose between the Caretaker, Hex Master, Reaper, Exorcist, or Golem Lord Occults.

Lvl 3: Malevolent Essence: Your necromancer’s understanding of life essence allows them to repurpose their own for dark purpose. Your necromancer may now elect to take 1D6 health damage when casting a Curse; this health damage becomes psychic damage inflicted on the enemy when a Curse lands successfully. The amount of health damage that your necromancer can sacrifice increases at 5 level (2D6), 13 level (3D6), and 19 level (4D6), although the necromancer may choose to sacrifice less. If the necromancer consumes temporary hit points using this feature, the psychic damage dealt is doubled.

    Additionally, your Necromancer uses this level to learn two Curses. Curses are detailed in full at the end of the class description. Curses cost a differing number of Essence points to cast. Your Necromancer further learns two new Curses at levels 6, 10, and 14.

Lvl 4: Ability Score Increase: When you reach 4 level, and again at 8, 12, 16, and 19 level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Lvl 5: Spontaneous Unburial: Starting at 5 Level, your understanding of necrotic and negative energies allows you to raise the dead with ease. You may cast the spell Animate Dead as an action and you do not require a corpse or pile of bones to do so; the skeleton or zombie will claw its way up from underground and acts on your next turn. In addition, you learn the spell Animate Dead. This spell does not count against your number of spells known, but still requires a spell slot to cast. If your Necromancer so chooses, they may expend four Essence points when casting Animate Dead to raise their choice of an additional skeleton or zombie.

    Skeletons and zombies created in this way initially claw their way up from underground within ten feet of your Necromancer. Starting at level 9, your Necromancer may summon them up to thirty feet away. At level 13, your Necromancer may summon them as far as 60 feet away.

    Additionally, you gain the ability to dismiss your undead companions at will. When dismissed in this way they perish, crumble into dust and become unusable for further resurrections or commands.

    At this level, your Necromancer finally gains the ability to control a limited number of undead equal to half your Necromancer level rounded down. This number improves as you level up, and does include your Major Undead, but not undead created by spells such as Danse Macabre or Create Undead, or undead creatures that you control with a feature.

Lvl 7: Animate Major Undead: Beginning at 7 level, your pursuit of knowledge has led you to uncover the secrets to mastering undead of all sizes. You can now raise any singular corpse that is Huge or smaller of a monstrosity, humanoid, fiend, plant or beast with a challenge rating of 3 or lower. It keeps its original abilities and attacks, but loses any resistances, immunities, legendary actions, or special senses it may have had and gains the immunities and vulnerabilities of either a Zombie or Skeleton. You can issue mental commands to the creature as per the Animate Dead spell. You can only control one Major Undead at a time; if you raise another Major Undead, your Necromancer loses control over the first. This ability functions as the Animate Dead spell unless otherwise noted. This feature allows you to do as described without consuming a spell slot once per long rest – if your Necromancer chooses to use this feature again without a long rest, they must expend 8 Essence points, the equivalent of a 4 level spell slot.

    You may use this feature on an existing undead you control to reassert control over it, or to gain control of one externally existing undead. If attempting to assert control over an existing undead creature, the target must be within sight, within thirty feet, must be within the Necromancer’s controllable challenge rating range, and must fail a Charisma saving throw with a DC of 8+ your necromancer level. You must finish a Long Rest before using this feature again.

    Undead creatures that have an intelligence of 12 or higher may attempt to break your control over them once every hour, but undead creatures with less intelligence become permanent thralls if they fail their Charisma saving throw.

At level 11, you may animate a monstrosity, humanoid, fiend, plant or beast with a challenge rating of 6 or lower.
At level 15, you may animate a monstrosity, humanoid, fiend, plant or beast with a challenge rating of 9 or lower.
At level 19, you may animate a monstrosity, humanoid, fiend, plant or beast with a challenge rating of 12 or lower.

    Command Undead: Starting at level 7, your Necromancer’s mastery over the undead is furthered dramatically. Your Necromancer may now, as an action, spend 3 Essence points per enemy targeted, up to a maximum of his Charisma modifier, to override an undead creature’s will with a command of his choice. The command may not be directly harmful to it, and must be simple in nature, capable of being summarized in five words or less. Only once the Essence points are spent, subject the targets to a Charisma Saving Throw with a DC of 5 + Proficiency modifier + Your Necromancer level. On a success, the command fails. On a failure, the targeted Undead creatures do their best to fulfill the Necromancer’s command on their next turn.

Lvl 9: Fortify Undead: Your necromancer’s minions have advantage on wisdom saving throws against Turn Undead attempts. Additionally, for 1 minute after being initially summoned, your skeletons and zombies receive your proficiency bonus to their AC.

    Further, your Necromancer gains the ability to Fortify an active Zombie, Skeleton, or Major Undead within sixty feet. To Fortify an active minion, your Necromancer must spend 1 Essence point. When a zombie, skeleton, or Major Undead is Fortified, your Necromancer may elect to give that minion either +1D8 on their next attack roll, or an additional damage die on their damage roll. Your Necromancer may not spend more Essence points to do both simultaneously on a given minion. As a final bonus, your Necromancer gains the ability to spend their reaction and three Essence points, when one of their minions is attacked, to give that minion +5 to their AC for that turn, as per the Shield spell.

    Although a minion can only be Fortified once per turn, there is no limit to the number of minions that can be Fortified on a given turn. There is further no action or bonus action required to do so.

Lvl 10: Animator Style: Your Necromancer may now choose 1 of these 4 traits:

    Corpse Stitcher: Your necromancer may choose to consume the corpse of a creature to augment the characteristics of another creature being raised by the Animate Major Undead feature. For example, if Creature A has an immunity to cold damage, consuming Creature A’s corpse can impart immunity to cold damage on Creature B being raised by Animate Major Undead. This feature is limited to no more than one of the following characteristics at a time: Damage Resistances, Damage Immunities, Multi-attack capabilities, saving throw proficiencies, one statistic (such as strength, intelligence or constitution), or Life Total. Once a Major Undead has been bolstered by one of these characteristics, it cannot be bolstered by another, even after it is slain or dismissed.

    Flesh Sculptor: Your Necromancer now has the ability to intimately sculpt their minions’ flesh, hardening and inuring them against decay and damage. Your Necromancer’s minions now have resistance to non-magical piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage. Additionally, your Necromancer’s skeletons and zombies grow natural weapons that can be used if they are disarmed, dealing 1D8 slashing or bludgeoning damage (your choice).

    Giant Rouser: Your necromancer may now raise celestial, fey, giant or dragon-type minions using the Animate Major Undead feature, as well as creatures that are Gargantuan or smaller.

    Life Painter: Your necromancer gains the ability to control how their zombies, skeletons, and Major Undead appear to a powerful degree. When raised, your Necromancer chooses how the minion appears as if they were casting the Disguise Self spell. The altered appearance is permanent, rather than being restricted to one hour.

    Witch Doctor: Your Necromancer may now choose when raising an undead minion to give them one of these four effects:
    Aura of Decay: Your minions now project an aura of decay. Enemies that begin their turn within ten feet of a minion with this feature take 1D6 poison or necrotic damage (your choice).
    Blood Bag: Your Necromancer’s raised undead now counts as a willing creature for the purposes of transferring health with Life Tap.
    Dreadful Presence: Your minion’s hideous appearance projects a tangible aura of malice and dread. Any creature that starts its turn within sixty feet of your undead minion that can see it must succeed on a Wisdom Saving Throw with a DC equal to your Necromancer’s level + your minion’s total hit dice. On a failure, the creature is Frightened of the minion. On a success, the creature is immune to fear from this and any other minion for 24 hours.
    Thorns: Your chosen minion is infused with bony barbs, thorns or poisonous pustules with an appearance of your choosing. When struck by a melee attack by an enemy within five feet, your minion now deals 2D6 piercing or poison damage (your choice) to that enemy.

Lvl 11: Ritualistic Unburial: You may now cast Animate Dead as a ritual.

Lvl 12: Compel Undead: Starting at level 12, your Necromancer’s control over the undead is nearing completion. When your Necromancer uses the Command Undead feature, they may now spend six Essence points per enemy targeted to issue complex commands, and commands that are directly harmful to the targets. If the target is subjected to a command that is directly harmful to it, it may attempt its Charisma Saving Throw every time it takes damage. Commands that are directly harmful to the target last one minute or until the target makes a successful save. Complex commands that are not harmful to the target last until the creature completes the task, or one minute, whichever is shorter.

Lvl 14: Grave Keeper: You no longer lose control over skeletons, zombies, or Major Undead after 24 hours. Your necromancer may still lose control over externally existing undead, and creatures created with the Create Undead spell. Additionally, your Necromancer may now raise and/or control as many as two Major Undead.

Lvl 18: Macabre: Starting at 18 level, the death you surround yourself with has become a part of you. The overexposure to death has earned you an affinity with the undead. Whenever you interact with the undead, you have advantage on all Charisma checks. You no longer age and are immune to poison damage, diseases, exhaustion, and the frightened and poisoned conditions.

Lvl 19: Destroy Undead: Starting at 19 level, your Necromancer’s control over the undead is perfect. As an action, your Necromancer may target a number of undead creatures up to their Charisma modifier and, at the cost of 10 Essence points per target, subject them to a Constitution Saving Throw. On a success, the targeted creatures take 8D10 force damage. On a failure, the targeted creatures are dropped to 0 hit points and destroyed. Your Necromancer may not target an undead creature higher than Challenge Rating 12 with this feature.

Lvl 20: Your necromancer chooses one of these three capstones:

    Lord of the Dead: Your necromancer may now command as many as three Major Undead.

    Grim Harvest: Whenever an enemy dies within sixty feet of your necromancer, you may choose to expend your reaction to detonate the enemy’s corpse in a violent burst of necrotic energy and ash, dealing 8D6 necrotic damage to any creature within twenty feet. If this explosion kills an enemy, you may choose to trigger a secondary explosion at the slain enemy’s location for 4D6 necrotic damage, with a radius of ten feet.

    Séance: Your necromancer may now take ten minutes to meditate. If left undisturbed, you become aware of the active spirits, undead creatures, and intact remains of all the creatures that have perished within one mile of you within the last century. With a further expense of ten minutes, your necromancer can subject an existing undead creature within the mile’s radius to a Charisma saving throw, as per the Animate Major Undead feature, gaining control over it for 24 hours on a failure. Alternatively, your Necromancer may raise a single creature from the remains it can detect within the mile’s radius, as per the Animate Major Undead feature. Séance can only be used once per long rest, and once a Séance has been performed in an area, another cannot be performed in the same area for seven days.

    Only one undead creature can be controlled by this feature at a time. If the creature being controlled has an intelligence of 12 or greater, it has the ability to re-attempt its saving throw once every hour.

    Caretaker Occult: A variant that focuses on bolstering summons.

Lvl 2: Vigorous Essence: As a caring animator, your Necromancer uses only the best essence for their minions. Your active Skeletons, Zombies and Familiar receive +2 to dexterity, +2 to strength, +2 to AC, and proficiency in Constitution and Dexterity saving throws. Additionally, your summoned skeletons and zombies receive a bonus to their total life that is equal to your Necromancer level + Proficiency modifier, and zombies receive your proficiency bonus to their Constitution Saving Throws.

    Additionally, starting immediately at this level, your Necromancer learns the Find Familiar spell, and gains the use of three additional familiar options: Mastiff, Poisonous Snake, and Vulture. These creatures have existing stat blocks, and unlike other familiars, do have the ability to attack in combat.

Lvl 6: Improved Animate Undead: Starting at 6 level, Skeletons and Zombies raised gain your necromancer’s proficiency bonus to their attack rolls, as well as your proficiency modifier to their damage rolls. Additionally, whenever your necromancer uses a spell, feature or item to summon a skeleton or zombie, an additional skeleton or zombie is spawned.

Lvl 10: Impart the Dead: Your necromancer’s undead companions regain a portion of their intelligence in life, and a significant portion of their memories. At the cost of 4 Essence points per minion, your Necromancer may now Awaken any number of minions as an action. When Awakened, a minion can make independent decisions and be able to act intelligently, even when your Necromancer falls unconscious. If all active minions are Awakened at the same time, your Necromancer is functionally no longer required to use their bonus action to command them in combat. Minions that are Awakened are required to roll their own initiative as a group, rather than acting on the Necromancer’s turn.

    Only zombies and skeletons can be Awakened. Once imbued in this way, they gain +5 INT, and an additional +1 INT at levels 14, 17, and 20. An Awakened zombie or skeleton can perform the verbal and somatic components of spells, and for this reason may be taught to cast any cantrip, first, or second level spell your Necromancer knows. When casting these spells, your Necromancer must have and must sacrifice a number of Essence points to enable the casting. For a cantrip, your Necromancer must sacrifice 1 Essence point. For any other spell, the number of Essence points required must be equal to double the level of the spell being cast. For these spells, your minions use your Necromancer’s spellcasting ability modifier and Spell Save DC.

    It is worth noting that Skeletons, while more intelligent than Zombies, may not perform the verbal components of spells, and are therefore limited in the spells they can be taught. Additionally, Zombies are quite stupid, and may struggle to learn spells at all until your Necromancer has reached a higher level. (The requisite Intelligence to understand spoken language is pegged at 6, although it can be argued that a less intelligent creature could be taught to repeat something it doesn’t understand.) Ultimately, it will be up to your DM to decide whether your creatures can learn or not.

Lvl 14: For the Master: When any of your Necromancer’s minions are reduced to 0 hit points, your Necromancer may now choose to expend their reaction to detonate the fallen minion’s corpse, dealing necrotic damage equal to 1D8 per Essence point spent, up to a maximum of 4D8.

 

    Hexmaster Occult: A variant that focuses on bolstering and encouraging the use of Curses.

Lvl 2: Withering Vow: Your Necromancer gains Malevolent Essence one level earlier, and now deals an additional 1D8 psychic damage when sacrificing health to cast a Curse. This bonus damage is not doubled when the Necromancer consumes temporary hit points when casting a Curse. This increases by 1D8 at levels 9(+2D8), 13(+3D8), and 17(+4D8). If your necromancer elects to take health damage when casting a curse, enemies have disadvantage on their savings throws against it.

    It is worth noting that Your Necromancer still gains two additional Curses at level 3 when taking this Necromancer Occult.

Lvl 6: Fate Weaver: Your necromancer’s curses that rely on or use damage die in their primary effects are improved by a single damage die. Curses that instead rely on numbered instances of an effect, such as Curse: Amplify providing a single instance of vulnerability to a hit, gain one increased instance. These effects are additionally improved by one damage die or one instance at levels 10, 15, and 20.

    Following this, a level 20 Hex Master Necromancer casting Curse: Amplify with 4 Essence points would, on a failed save, cause the target to be vulnerable to the next five hits. For another example, a level 10 Hex Master Necromancer casting Curse: Leech would grant 3D6 health to whoever attacked the cursed target for the next three hits.

Lvl 10: Blighting Malediction: If your Necromancer sacrifices health when casting a curse, the target still takes half psychic damage on a successful save. Additionally, your Necromancer now sacrifices health using D4 die, but continues to deal D8 damage.

    Following this, a level 13 Hex Master Necromancer that chooses to sacrifice 3D4 health when casting a curse would deal 3D6 (+3D8 From Withering Vow) when the curse lands successfully.

Lvl 14: Blasphemy: Your necromancer may now choose to cast any curse as a twenty-foot cube, afflicting all creatures within it with the curse’s effects.

 

    Reaper Occult: A variant that focuses on tanking damage and standing at the front lines to study the throes of life and death up close and personal.

Lvl 2: Enhanced Drain: The damage your necromancer deals with Life Tap is increased by 1D8, and you gain the ability to use Life Tap as a bonus action with the expense of 1 Essence Point rather than 2. At level 7, your Necromancer now uses D10 damage die for Life Tap. At level 11, your necromancer now adds their proficiency modifier to their damage rolls and gains the ability to use Life Tap from as far as ten feet away. At level 15, your Necromancer now uses D12 damage die for Life Tap.

    Following this, a level 11 Reaper Necromancer will deal 4D10 + Proficiency + Charisma Modifier Necrotic damage with Life Tap. As another example, a level 17 Reaper Necromancer will deal 4D12 + Proficiency + Charisma Modifier Necrotic damage with Life Tap.

    In addition, your Necromancer learns the ability to use Life Purge. Rather than siphoning and absorbing the lifeforce of enemies, this technique violently tears the Essence from their bodies and scatters it. This technique deals more damage than Life Tap, but does not grant temporary hit points. At the expense of two Essence points, your Necromancer may, as an action, make a melee spell attack against an enemy. On a hit, deal your Necromancer’s base Life Tap damage, and add 1D8. Your Necromancer may choose to spend more Essence points when casting Life Purge, dealing an additional 1D8 for every extra Essence point spent, up to a maximum of four additional points. Life Purge does not scale with levels the same way that Life Tap does.

    As an example, a level 5 Reaper Necromancer may spend four Essence points on one Life Purge attack, dealing 3D8(Base Life Tap) + 1D8 (for Life Purge) + 2D8 (Two additional Essence points) on a successful hit. While powerful, this tactic can rapidly drain the necromancer’s resources, and on a miss, may be a total waste of valuable Essence points.

    Additionally, starting immediately when your Necromancer chooses the Reaper subclass and for every level afterwards, your hit dice are D8’s instead of D6’s. You will use these hit dice when leveling up to determine your health increase, and during your short rests.

Lvl 6: Acidic Blood: Your Necromancer gains the ability to use their reaction when struck with a melee attack to retaliate by weaponizing their shed blood to deal acid damage to their attacker. This acid attack uses damage die equivalent to the damage die used by their attacker, but not their modifiers. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

    For example, if a creature’s claw attack successfully lands and deals 2D6 +3 slashing damage, the Necromancer’s retaliatory acid attack would deal 2D6 acid damage.

Lvl 10: Deathly Resilience: Your Necromancer gains resistance to non-magical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage, and necrotic damage. Additionally, your Necromancer gains advantage when rolling against stuns.

Lvl 14: Undead Fortitude: When reduced to 0 hit points, your Necromancer may make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 10 or half damage taken, whichever is higher. On a success, your Necromancer is instead reduced to 1 hit point. Alternatively, your Necromancer may elect when falling unconscious that they require four failed death saves to die, rather than three. This feature does not activate if your Necromancer is reduced to 0 hit points by a critical hit or radiant damage.

    Exorcist Occult: A variant of the Necromancer that focuses on bolstering your command of and defense against the undead.

Lvl 2: Sixth Sense: Starting immediately after taking this subclass, your Necromancer gains the ability to, as an action, detect the presence of any undead within sixty feet, whether they are visible or invisible, behind complete cover, or possessing another’s body. This may be done a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest. Additionally, your Necromancer gains a passive perception of any undead, visible or invisible, that come within ten feet of them.

    Also starting at level 2, your Necromancer can no longer be possessed, and rolls against mind-arresting abilities (DM’s discretion) and charm effects with advantage. They further gain the ability, when using Rebuke Undead, to exorcise any undead presence or possession from an ally’s mind or body.

Lvl 6: Repel Undead: Your Necromancer gains the ability to lash out against the undead with a barrage of psychic force. As an action, your Necromancer may spend 1 Essence point to target an undead creature within thirty feet of them, and subject them to an Intelligence Saving Throw.

    When using Repel Undead to target incorporeal undead, such as ghosts or banshees, the target takes 1D10 psychic damage on a failed saving throw. At the expense of 2 Essence points rather than 1, the target is also pushed 30 feet away in a direction of the Necromancer’s choosing. At levels 9, 12, 15, and 18, the damage increases by 1D10, and the knockback distance increases by 5 feet. (Recharge 4-6, 1D6.)

    If the target of Repel Undead is corporeal, such as a skeleton or zombie, it instead takes 1D8 psychic damage on a failed Intelligence Saving Throw. At the expense of two Essence points rather than 1, the target must also make a Constitution Saving Throw. On a failure, the target is stunned for one turn. The damage improves by 1D8 at levels 9, 12, 15, and 18.

    Finally, your Necromancer gains resistance to psychic damage.

Lvl 10: Haunt: Your Necromancer gains the ability to conjure a ghostly presence to attempt to possess his enemies. As an action, spend 5 Essence points per enemy to subject up to your Charisma modifier targets, within sixty feet, to a Charisma Saving Throw. On a success, the spirit deals 1D10 psychic damage, but is expunged with no other ill effect. On a failure, the enemy becomes Haunted. Only non-undead creatures can be Haunted.

    While Haunted, the victims become targetable to the Exorcist’s Repel Undead ability, and to the features Rebuke Undead, Command Undead, and Compel Undead for one minute, or until they use an action to re-attempt their Charisma Saving Throw. Additionally, at the start of each of their turns, Haunted enemies take 2D10 psychic damage.

Lvl 14: Master Manipulator: When your Necromancer uses Rebuke Undead, Command Undead, Compel Undead and later Destroy Undead, they may do so at half the regular cost of Essence points (minimum 1), and your targets have disadvantage on their saves against these features.

    Golem Lord Occult:

Lvl 2: Starting at level 2, your Necromancer learns how to channel their Essence into strange materials, raising a golem to serve them in battle. Your Necromancer may choose what kind of golem to raise from these options: Clay, Ice, Wood, or Stone. Each golem is unique in its abilities and features as it levels up. Your golem must be raised from at least three cubic feet of its parent material (in the case of an ice golem, any sufficient source of water works for summoning, as the water is drawn into shape and frozen by magic), and can be any size between four and eight feet tall. Your golem’s size is Medium. Your golem has blindsight up to sixty feet, and is blind beyond this radius. It takes one action to raise a golem from its parent material, although you cannot have more than one golem active at a time. Golems last until they are dismissed or killed, and if killed, another may not be summoned for at least one minute. No matter the choice of golem, it counts as undead for the purposes of the Necromancer’s class features and spells. The golem acts on its own initiative, and is immune to poison damage and disease, as well as the blinded, charmed, deafened, exhausted, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned and unconscious conditions. Your Necromancer is able to issue commands telepathically to their active golem to a range of 120 feet.

    Your golem’s attack and damage rolls increase from their base (+4 to hit, 1D4+4 damage) at levels 6 (+6 to hit, 1D6+6 damage), 10(+8 to hit, 1D8+8 damage), 14(+10 to hit, 1D10+10 damage), and 18 (+12 to hit, 1D12+12 damage).

    Your golem’s health increases by 2D12 at levels 6(2D12+12), 10(4D12+24), 14(6D12+36), and 18(8D12+48).

Lvl 6: Your choice of golem learns to utilize a 15-foot cone area-of-effect attack that is unique to them. This attack recharges on a 5-6, 1D6. Additionally, your golem may now attack twice per action, and its attacks count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance.

Lvl 10: Your golem forms the backbone of your undead legion, inspiring them in combat. While your Necromancer’s zombies, skeletons, or Major Undead are within ten feet of your golem, they have advantage on attack rolls, and receive a 1D6 bonus to their damage rolls. Additionally, your Golem now has resistance to non-magical piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.

Lvl 14: Your golem learns its keystone ability, and gains the ability to attack three times per action. In addition, your Necromancer may now share its senses with its currently active golem as an action, until the effect is dismissed.

    Clay Golem -
Lvl 2: Sludgy Form: Starting at level 2, your Clay Golem has a base walking speed of thirty feet, and has the ability to Earth Glide through mud, clay, dirt, and unworked stone up to sixty feet per turn. Your Clay Golem is capable of moving through porous obstacles, and openings as small as one inch wide, forming themselves on the other side. In addition, enemies that are struck by a Clay Golem have their base movement speed reduced by half, slathering its enemies in thick, hindering clay; this effect does not stack. Clay Golems are further immune to the grappled and restrained conditions.

Lvl 6: Hindering Spray: Your clay golem learns how to project a thick, clay-rich goop that slows and hinders your enemies in a fifteen foot cone, dealing 6D6 bludgeoning damage. Enemies may make a Dexterity saving throw, with a DC equal to 9+ your Necromancer’s proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. On a success, enemies take only half damage and evade all other effects. On a failure, your enemies take full damage, and may now only attack once per turn and lose the ability to take reactions. This effect persists until the affected creature uses its action to pass a Strength saving throw with a DC of 15.

Lvl 10: Clay Coating: As a reaction, when attacked by a melee attack, your clay golem can spread softening sludge and clay on an opponent’s weapon, deadening their blows and blades. Reduce the damage rolls of the creature that struck your golem by 1D10 for its next 1D4 attacks. This effect may stack. The victim of this effect may use an action to clean its weapon if it so chooses, ending the effect. If this effect reduces the attacker’s damage to zero, the enemy’s action ends; if the weapon used is natural, the enemy is grappled, and if the weapon used can feasibly be taken from the attacker, the attacker is disarmed.

Lvl 14: Engulf: Your clay golem gains advantage on its Athletics checks and learns the ability to engulf a Medium or smaller target by entering its space. The victim of this attack may make a DC: 15 Dexterity saving throw to evade the effect, being pushed away five feet in a direction of its choice on a success. If the creature is already grappled, it automatically fails this Dexterity saving throw. Choosing not to be pushed results in the same as failing the saving throw. On a failure, the clay golem grapples and restrains its target, dealing 6D6 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the clay golem’s turns. The restrained creature may make a DC: 18 Strength check as an action to escape. Your clay golem retains the ability to move and attack as normal while it has engulfed a creature, although it may not engulf more than one creature at a time.

    Ice Golem:
Lvl 2: Slick Wake: Starting at level 2, your ice golem has a walking speed of 30 feet, and a swimming speed of 40 feet. In addition, your Ice golem may decide before it moves on its turn that it would like to leave difficult terrain behind it. Enemies walking on this difficult terrain move at half speed, and must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC: 15), or fall prone.

Lvl 6: Arctic Blast: Your ice golem learns to project a spray of brutal cold in a fifteen foot cone, dealing 6D6 cold damage on a failed Dexterity saving throw (DC: 9 + Your Necromancer’s Proficiency Bonus + Charisma modifier). On a successful save, enemies take half damage. When struck by the full damage of this attack, enemies have their movement speed reduced by half for one turn.

Lvl 10: Spiked Back: Your ice golem grows long spikes of ice on its body. As a reaction when attacked by a melee attack, your ice golem can interpose these spikes between itself and its attacker, dealing 2D8 piercing damage.

Lvl 14: Bitter Freeze: Your ice golem now passively projects an aura of freezing cold, dealing 2D8 cold damage to enemies it chooses, within fifteen feet, on each of its turns. Your golem may choose any number of creatures to be unaffected by this aura. Enemies that enter the area or begin their turn there must make a Constitution saving throw, or take this damage each turn. A successful save halves the damage taken.

    Wood Golem:
Lvl 2: Treant Semblance: Starting at level 2, your Wood Golem has a walking speed of 35 feet, a climb speed of 25 feet, and has the ability to cast Tree Stride at will, once per day. In addition, your Wood Golem has the ability to choose between bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage for each of its attacks.

Lvl 6: Lancing Growths: Your Wood Golem learns to explosively grow piercing branches in a fifteen foot cone, dealing 6D8 damage to all enemies within it. Enemies may make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC of 9 + Your Necromancer’s proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. On a success, they take half damage. After the attack is complete, the area of the fifteen foot cone becomes difficult terrain to enemies passing through it.

Lvl 10: Radiate Essence: Your wood golem learns to plant its roots into any surface except solid stone as a bonus action, becoming immune to the prone condition. While planted in place, your golem’s speed is 0. Your golem recovers 2D8+5 health at the start of each of its turns, and radiates half this amount of healing to each ally within fifteen feet. The golem may release itself from the ground with a bonus action.

Lvl 14: Bramble Lashes: Your wood golem’s range increases to twenty feet. In addition, your wood golem gains the ability to grapple and reel in an enemy following a successful contested Athletics check. If your wood golem has an enemy grappled in this way, it deals maximum damage on following successful attacks against it.

    Stone Golem:
Lvl 2: Heavy Fists: Starting at level 2, your Stone Golem has a base walking speed of 25 feet, and a burrowing speed of 25 feet. If burrowing through solid stone, this speed is reduced to 10 feet. It also serves as three quarters cover for any allies within five feet of it. Enemies struck by your Stone Golem’s brutal attacks must make a DC: 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Lvl 6: Rock Cannon: Your Stone golem learns to project a spray of stone debris with cannon-like force, dealing 5D10 piercing damage in a fifteen-foot cone. Your enemies can make a Dexterity saving throw (DC: 9 + Your Necromancer’s proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier) to take half damage.

Lvl 10: Boulder Toss: Your stone golem gains a ranged attack with a range of 40/120 feet. This attack has the same attack and damage bonuses as a basic melee attack.

Lvl 14: Mighty Strikes: Your Stone golem uses an additional damage die for its melee attacks.

Curses: (S: Somatic, V: Verbal, M: Material)
Enrolling the Weave in conspiring doom and misfortune upon the enemy, Curses are debuffs that can be applied to enemies as an Action to give the Necromancer and his allies an upper hand in battle.

1 Essence Point –
Curse: Cripple: Your necromancer chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the target’s movement speed is reduced by 25 feet for their next turn.

    If a target fails their saving throw by five or more, their speed is instead reduced to 0 for their next turn.

    Your Necromancer may elect to empower this curse by instead spending two Essence points when casting it – in this case, a failed save reduces the targets’ movement speed by an additional 25 feet.
(S, V, M: A small bone that is snapped in half, then consumed by the spell.)

Curse: Misfortune: Your necromancer chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target must make a Charisma saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, your Necromancer may expend their reaction to force that enemy to reroll any attack roll, ability check or saving throw one time.

    If a target fails their saving throw by five or more, their next attack roll or saving throw is made at disadvantage.

    Your Necromancer may empower this Curse by casting it with two or more Essence points – in this case, the target has disadvantage on its next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check for every Essence point spent beyond the first, up to a maximum of five.
(S, V, M: A sprinkle of fine obsidian sand.)

Curse: Weakness: Concentration. Duration: 1 minute. Your necromancer chooses two targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets must make a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the target’s attack rolls are penalized by 1D4.

    If your targets fail their Strength saving throw by five or more, they may only attack once per action.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with two Essence points instead – in this case, the curse additionally penalizes the target’s damage rolls by 1D6, for as long as the Necromancer maintains concentration or until the creature dies.
(S, V, M: A fresh plant that is split down its stem, or fruit that is manually skinned, either of which crumbles into ash and is consumed by the spell.)

2 Essence Points –
Curse: Blind: Your necromancer chooses two targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the targets are Blinded for two turns.

    If your target fails their saving throw by five or more, they take 1D10 fire damage.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with three Essence points instead – in this case, the curse causes Blindness for three turns on a failed save.
(S, V, M: An extracted eyeball no older than a week old.)

Curse: Decay: Concentration. Duration: 1 minute. Your necromancer chooses two targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, their AC is reduced by 2 until the Curse ends.

    If your targets fail their saving throw by five or more, their AC is instead reduced by 5.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with three Essence points or more – in this case, your target cannot benefit from half or three-quarters cover until the Curse ends.
(S, V, M: Rust, scraped from an iron surface which is consumed by the spell.)

Curse: Horror: Your necromancer chooses two targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets must make an Intelligence saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, attacks your Necromancer makes against the targets deal an additional 1D12 psychic damage. This effect persists for the next 1D4+2 turns.

    If the targets fail their saving throw by five or more, they become frightened of the next creature that attacks them for one minute. They may attempt to resist this effect at the end of each of their turns.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with three Essence points instead – in this case, the targets have disadvantage on wisdom and dexterity saving throws for the next two turns.
(S, V, M: A bag of shattered glass, which rattles and shifts audibly.)

Curse: Leech: Your necromancer chooses two targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the next successful physical attack made against the target restores 1D6 health to the attacker.

    If your targets fail their saving throw by five or more, they immediately heal the Necromancer that cursed them for 1D6 health.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with three Essence points instead – in this case, the Curse becomes a concentration spell with a duration of 1 minute. For as long as concentration is maintained, every physical attack against the cursed target, beyond the first, restores 1D4 health.
(S, V, M: A drop of fresh blood, which is consumed by the spell.)

Curse: Stun: Your Necromancer chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the target is stunned for one turn.

    If your target fails their saving throw by five or more, they are instead stunned for two turns.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with three Essence points instead – in this case, your Necromancer may select a second target within thirty feet of the first.
(S, V, M: A pinch of flash powder, which is burned and consumed by the spell.)

Curse: Terror: Your necromancer chooses three targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the targets are Frightened of you for one minute. The target gets to attempt this saving throw at the end of each of their turns.

    If your targets fail any of their Wisdom saving throws against this Curse by five or more, they take 1D8 psychic damage.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with three Essence points instead – in this case, targets that fail their Wisdom saving throw must spend their movement each turn moving away from and/or breaking line of sight to the Necromancer that cursed them.
(S, V, M: A piece of burning parchment.)

3 Essence Points –

Curse: Confuse: Concentration. Duration: 1 minute. Your Necromancer chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target makes a Charisma saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the target becomes confused. To determine their behavior, roll a D10.

D10	Action
1-4	The creature does nothing.
5-6	The creature moves its complete movement in a random direction. To determine the direction, roll a D8 and assign a direction to each side.
7-8	The creature makes a melee attack against another creature within its reach. If there is no creature within its reach, it moves towards the nearest creature it can reach and makes a melee attack against it. If it cannot reach another creature, it does nothing.
9-10	The creature can move and act normally.

    If the target fails their saving throw by five or more, the creature becomes explicitly hostile towards its allies, and prioritizes them for attack.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with four Essence points instead. In this case, when a creature rolls a 1-4, you may control them for one round.
(S, V, M: Crushed nightshade, which is consumed by the spell.)

Curse: Despair: Your Necromancer chooses two targets it can see within 60 feet. The targets make a Charisma saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, allies gain advantage when attacking the target for the next two hits.

    If the targets fail their saving throw by five or more, the enemy loses their next turn weeping uncontrollably.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with four or more Essence points. In this case, add one additional instance of advantage for every point beyond the third, and each instance only counts as consumed on a successful hit.
(S, V, M: A clove of garlic, chewed and consumed by the caster.)

    For example, when cast with five Essence points, Curse: Despair grants allies advantage against the target for the next successful four hits.

Curse: Iron Maiden: Concentration, Duration: 1 minute. Your necromancer chooses two targets it can see within sixty feet. The targets must make a Charisma saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the target takes 3D6 piercing damage every time they successfully land a melee or ranged attack.

    If the targets fail their saving throw by five or more, they may not take reactions until the end of their next turn.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with four Essence points instead – in this case, the target makes an additional Strength saving throw. On a failure, they are grappled and restrained for one turn.
(S, V, M: A rusted piece of iron, such as a nail.)

Curse: Pierce: Concentration. Duration: 1 minute. Your Necromancer chooses two targets it can see within sixty feet. The targets must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your Necromancer’s proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. On a failure, your Necromancer may choose to bypass a resistance to one damage type of their choice.

    If your target fails their saving throw by five or more, they are vulnerable to the next attack of the damage type your Necromancer chose.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with four Essence points instead – in this case, your Necromancer may remove a single damage immunity of their choice until the Curse ends.
(S, V, M: A small cloth effigy, pierced by a hook or needle.)

Curse: Wither: Concentration, Duration: 1 minute. Your Necromancer chooses two targets it can see within sixty feet. The targets must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your Necromancer’s proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. On a failure, the target takes 1D4 necrotic damage for every 5 feet it moves. This damage is not applied for distance covered through teleportation or similar magical means.

    If the target fails their saving throw by five or more, they instead take 1D4 + 2 damage per five feet they move.

    This curse may be empowered by casting it with four Essence points instead – in this case, the enemy may not regenerate health by any means until the Curse ends or the Necromancer’s concentration is broken.

4 Essence Points –

Curse: Amplify: Your necromancer chooses one target it can see within 60 feet. The target makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your necromancer’s proficiency bonus + charisma modifier. On a failure, the target is considered vulnerable to the next attack that hits it.

    If the target fails their saving throw by five or more, the next attack against them has advantage.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with five or more Essence points – in this case, for every point used to cast beyond 4, this curse adds one instance of an amplified attack.
(S, V, M: A small chunk of flint, which fizzles brightly and is consumed by the spell.)

Curse: Petrify: Your Necromancer chooses one target it can see within sixty feet. The target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your Necromancer’s proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. On a failure, the target loses its reactions immediately, and at the start of its next turn is considered grappled and restrained. At the end of its next turn, the target then makes another Constitution saving throw. On a success, the Curse ends. On a subsequent failure, the target is Petrified for ten minutes.

    If the target fails their saving throw by five or more, attacks made against them deal an additional 1D8 bludgeoning damage until the Curse ends.

    This Curse may be empowered by casting it with five or more Essence points – in this case, the target is Petrified immediately following its first failed Constitution saving throw.
(S, V, M: A chunk of granite, which is consumed by the spell.)

Optional Play Rules:
Here are some optional additions to your game to enhance the play experience of your Necromancer.

Magic Items:
Orb of Blasphemy: A sphere of black jet approximately six inches across, that swirls as if it encases smoke. If you listen closely, the sphere whispers of damnation and its many forms. Cost: 1,000 gold. Effect: When Carried on your Necromancer’s person, increase the DC of your Curses’ saving throws by 2.

Tomes of Dark Power:
These tomes of ancient dark power convey the greater secrets of necromancy to your fledgling adventurer, teaching them powerful new techniques and abilities. Were they discovered in an old abandoned laboratory? In another necromancer’s tomb, long after their death? On an evil practitioner’s person perhaps, after being slain or persuaded to share their knowledge?

    Like any spell, these tomes will require hours of study and a varying gold cost to transcribe into a useful form. That is, if you’re lucky enough to ever find one! To determine which book you encounter, assign each a number 1-20, and then roll a D20.

1. Tome of Agony – Enemies may now be afflicted by two Curses at once, provided they are not both concentration effects. Cost: 1,500 gold, 24 hours of study.
2. Tome of Extraction – Your Necromancer now uses an additional damage die for Life Tap. Cost: 1,000 gold, 16 hours of study.
3. Tome of Fortitude – Your Necromancer’s zombies spawn with the equivalent of Studded Leather Armor, and your skeletons spawn with an additional 2D10 +8 health. This armor equivalent cannot be harvested or sold. Cost: 1,200 gold, 18 hours of study.
4. Tome of Influence – Increases your Necromancer’s Charisma score by 2.
5. Tome of Leadership – Your Necromancer’s minions permanently receive a 1D4 bonus to their attack rolls and saving throws. Cost: 700 gold, 9 hours.
6. Tome of Manipulation – Your Necromancer now has advantage on Charisma checks when dealing with the undead. Cost: 300 gold, 6 hours.
7. Tome of Obedience – Externally existing undead now have disadvantage when saving against Animate Major Undead controlling attempts. Additionally, targets have disadvantage when rolling against Rebuke Undead, Command Undead and Compel Undead. Cost: 800 gold, 10 hours.
8. Tome of Physicality – When your Necromancer successfully uses Life Tap on an enemy, they may learn the enemy’s damage resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities, as well as either one statistic (i.e. Strength, Wisdom) or the enemy’s saving throw proficiencies. Cost: 500 gold, 6 hours.
9. Tome of Reaping – Your Necromancer now receives 1D8 temporary hit points whenever an enemy dies within thirty feet of them. Cost: 1,000 gold, 16 hours.
10. Tome of Reflex – Life Tap may now be used as an attack of opportunity.
11. Tome of Sacrifice – Your Necromancer now deals D8 psychic damage when sacrificing D6 health to cast a Curse. Cost: 400 gold, 8 hours.
12. Tome of Soul Weaving – Your Necromancer’s Curse DC increases by 2. Cost: 500 gold, 10 hours.
13. Tome of Spite – Your enemies now have disadvantage when saving against your Necromancer’s Curses. Cost: 900 gold, 14 hours.
14. Tome of Toxins – Your Necromancer’s poison damage now bypasses poison damage resistance and immunity. Cost: 500 gold, 10 hours.
15. Tome of Withering – Your Necromancer’s Necrotic damage now bypasses Necrotic damage resistance and immunity. Cost: 500 gold, 10 hours.
16. Tome of the Bleeding Stone – Your Necromancer may now use Life Tap and Life Purge on undead and constructs. Cost: 500 gold, 10 hours.
17. Tome of the Grave – Your Necromancer gains Eyes of the Grave, as per the Grave Cleric ability, but using their Charisma modifier instead of Wisdom. Cost: 800 gold, 12 hours.
18. Tome of the Legion – Your Necromancer now spawns one additional skeleton or zombie whenever they summon a zombie or skeleton. Cost: 1,200 gold, 16 hours.
19. Tome of the Mind – Your Necromancer’s psychic damage now bypasses psychic damage resistance and immunity. Cost: 500 gold, 10 hours.
20. Tome of the Spirit – Your Necromancer now regains one Essence point per CR (minimum 1) when they slay an enemy. As usual, your Necromancer may not go over their Essence point maximum using this tome. Cost: 850 gold, 16 hours.

Caretaker: Vigorous Essence

As a caring animator, your Necromancer uses only the best essence for their minions. Your active Skeletons, Zombies and Familiar receive +2 to dexterity, +2 to strength, +2 to AC, and proficiency in Constitution and Dexterity saving throws. Additionally, your summoned skeletons and zombies receive a bonus to their total life that is equal to your Necromancer level + Proficiency modifier, and zombies receive your proficiency bonus to their Constitution Saving Throws.

    Additionally, starting immediately at this level, your Necromancer learns the Find Familiar spell, and gains the use of three additional familiar options: Mastiff, Poisonous Snake, and Vulture. These creatures have existing stat blocks, and unlike other familiars, do have the ability to attack in combat.

Caretaker: Improved Animate Dead

Starting at 6 level, Skeletons and Zombies raised gain your necromancer’s proficiency bonus to their attack rolls, as well as your proficiency modifier to their damage rolls. Additionally, whenever your necromancer uses a spell, feature or item to summon a skeleton or zombie, an additional skeleton or zombie is spawned.

Caretaker: Impart the Dead

Your necromancer’s undead companions regain a portion of their intelligence in life, and a significant portion of their memories. At the cost of 4 Essence points per minion, your Necromancer may now Awaken any number of minions as an action. When Awakened, a minion can make independent decisions and be able to act intelligently, even when your Necromancer falls unconscious. If all active minions are Awakened at the same time, your Necromancer is functionally no longer required to use their bonus action to command them in combat. Minions that are Awakened are required to roll their own initiative as a group, rather than acting on the Necromancer’s turn.

    Only zombies and skeletons can be Awakened. Once imbued in this way, they gain +5 INT, and an additional +1 INT at levels 14, 17, and 20. An Awakened zombie or skeleton can perform the verbal and somatic components of spells, and for this reason may be taught to cast any cantrip, first, or second level spell your Necromancer knows. When casting these spells, your Necromancer must have and must sacrifice a number of Essence points to enable the casting. For a cantrip, your Necromancer must sacrifice 1 Essence point. For any other spell, the number of Essence points required must be equal to double the level of the spell being cast. For these spells, your minions use your Necromancer’s spellcasting ability modifier and Spell Save DC.

    It is worth noting that Skeletons, while more intelligent than Zombies, may not perform the verbal components of spells, and are therefore limited in the spells they can be taught. Additionally, Zombies are quite stupid, and may struggle to learn spells at all until your Necromancer has reached a higher level. (The requisite Intelligence to understand spoken language is pegged at 6, although it can be argued that a less intelligent creature could be taught to repeat something it doesn’t understand.) Ultimately, it will be up to your DM to decide whether your creatures can learn or not.

Caretaker: For the Master

When any of your Necromancer’s minions are reduced to 0 hit points, your Necromancer may now choose to expend their reaction to detonate the fallen minion’s corpse, dealing necrotic damage equal to 1D8 per Essence point spent, up to a maximum of 4D8.