Contrary to popular belief, necromancers are not necessarily evil-doers, nor do all of them seek to subjugate others. In fact, some of them seek to use their powers for good: a poor understanding of their skills as well as their use of frightening undead monstrosities has simply led to a more generalized fear of their capacities. In reality, necromancers are a varied set of people. There is, however, one thing all of them have in common: each necromancer has some form of power over the vital essences that move any living creature - and they seek to use this to their advantage. Whether strayed wizards, aspiring acolytes or even blessed priests of gods of life, necromancers aim to achieve their goals by manipulating the very core of any creature's being.

Necromancy Savant

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a necromancy spell into your spellbook is halved.

Undead Possession

At 2nd level, you add the find familiar spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. If you don't already know it, you learn the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual.

The spell doesn’t count against your number of spells known. When you cast the spell, you can choose, instead of one of the normal forms, to have your familiar enter your service as a spirit. If you you choose to do so, your familiar does not have a true physical form. It remains as a spirit with an ability to possess undead, with an Intelligence lower than 8, under your control.

Your familiar minion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your minion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, a familiar minion also adds its proficiency bonus to its damage rolls. The familiar minion is immune to effects that would turn or destroy undead, thanks to the strength of their connection to you.

Actions

Possession. The familiar possesses one undead visible within 5 feet of it; the familiar disappears, and the adjacent undead loses control of its body. The familiar assumes control of the body, sustaining it with necrotic energy. The familiar can't be targeted separately by any attack, spell, or other effect, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed undead's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, or class features. Your minion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, an undead minion also adds its proficiency bonus to its damage rolls. The undead minion is immune to effects that would turn or destroy undead, thanks to the strength of their connection to you.

The possession lasts until the possessed undead drops to 0 hit points, the familiar ends it as a bonus action, or the familiar is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the familiar disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast the find familiar spell again.

 

Undead Thralls

At 6th level, you add the animate dead spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. When you cast animate dead (or [Tooltip Not Found] if your DM allows the spell in the campaign), you can target one additional corpse or pile of bones, creating another zombie or skeleton, as appropriate.

Whenever you create an undead using a necromancy spell, it has additional benefits:

• The creature’s hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your wizard level.
• The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its weapon damage rolls.

Undead Lieutenant

Beginning at 10th level, your undead familiar gains the ability to influence other creatures you control and they automatically recognize the authority of your familiar minion as if the order came from you (although you can always override any order given).  On each of its turns, your undead lieutenant can use a bonus action to mentally command any of its subordinates, as long as they are within 60 feet of it - it will use this ability whenever it can in pursuance of the objective(s) you set to the best of it's ability. It can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one. If it (or you) issue no commands (such as if it is incapacitated or out of range), the subordinates only defend themselves against hostile creatures. Once given an order, a creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.  If not already possible, you may imbue your undead minion the ability to speak one language of your choice (unless otherwise improbable... although for all intent and purpose, even a crawling claw may communicate through morse code, sign language, or even charades if necessary).

 

Command Undead

Starting at 14th level, you can use magic to bring undead under your control, even those created by other wizards. As an action, you can choose one undead that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. If it succeeds, you can’t use this feature on it again. If it fails, it becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands until you use this feature again.

Intelligent undead are harder to control in this way. If the target has an Intelligence of 8 or higher, it has advantage on the saving throw. If it fails the saving throw and has an Intelligence of 12 or higher, it can repeat the saving throw at the end of every hour until it succeeds and breaks free.