School of Biomancy

Most people think all Necromancers are evil. They think that they just go around, creating thralls, laughing maniacally, and causing mayhem.

Those people are misinformed.

While Biomancy and traditional Necromancy do share the same roots, biomancers focus on manipulating other creature's anatomy to achieve a desired effect instead of animating dead bodies. However, in order to do so, they must have previously studied the anatomy of a creature that they want to affect. This causes most people to misunderstand biomancy (who wants to be affiliated with those weirdos who are always asking to have people's bodies?), and most clerics don't like the idea of wizards encroaching on their magical territory, both of which impede biomancy's growth and stability. Even though there is a stigma against biomancy, this developing magical technique has real potential in the adventuring field.

(Note: I am very inexperienced at creating subclasses, and this is only my second one. It has not been playtested. Please leave any feedback that you have in the comments. Thanks!)

Biomancy Spells

During your studies, you have uncovered techniques to manipulate other's bodies. The following spells are added to your spell list and count as wizard spells for you: Aid, Awaken (beasts only), Calm Emotions, Command, Cure Wounds, Death Ward,  Mass Cure Wounds, Regenerate, Revivify, and Spare the Dying. When you cast these spells as wizard spells, their school of magic is necromancy, regardless of what it says in the spell's description. In order to cast one of these spell on a creature, you must have spent time intricately studying the dead body of one of that creature's species. This study is necessary for many of this subclass's features, and it will be referred to as "biomantic study".

The biomantic study time required to cast one of these new spells is 12 hours per level of the spell (6 hours for cantrips). This time does not need to be consecutive, but you work in half hour increments. If you have studied the body of a similar creature (as determined by the DM; e.g. humans and elves) for 50 hours or more, the time required to study the body is halved. You cannot cast any of these spells on a creature that does not have vital systems to study (such as constructs, elementals, oozes, and undead; the DM makes the final ruling [you may be able to use it on Xorns, for example]). No one body can be studied for more than 20 hours total (split between biomancers as necessary), as it is slowly destroyed during the process (which impedes spells such as Raise Dead, but not spells like Reincarnation or Resurrection). A body also cannot be studied a week or more after death, unless the body is preserved some how (like with Gentle Repose).

When you choose this school of magic at 2nd level, you have studied the bodies of any 3 humanoids (appropriate to your background and race), as well as any 3 beasts and 1 monstrosity, for a total of 100 hours (divided as you see fit, but no creature can start with a study time greater than 24 hours).

This is a long and time-consuming process, so a spell was developed to expedite this study time. You add the Analyze Anatomy spell to your spellbook. This counts a a wizard spell for you, but it doesn't count against your limit of 2 spells per level added to your spellbook.

(This spell is under homebrew spells. Search Analyze Anatomy and look for the one made by Rayroy11.)

Anatomical Assistance

You have learned how to augment your magical healing with natural regeneration. Whenever you cast a necromancy spell on a creature that does not affect it harmfully or deal with undead, you can choose to allow the creature to spend hit dice to heal themselves. The maximum number of hit dice the creature can spend in this way equals your proficiency bonus or the level that the the spell was cast at, whichever is lower. Other than as described, this works exactly like using hit dice during a short rest. You must have performed at least 8 hours of biomantic study on the creature's species to use this feature.

Enhanced Endurance

At 6th level, you have enhanced your physiology to increase your sturdiness. All of your wizard hit dice become d8s, and all of your future wizard hit dice will be d8s. Your hit point maximum increases by 6 (in addition to your normal increase at level 6) to signify this.

Twist Organs

Also at 6th level, you gain the ability to twist other creature's organs to heal or harm them. As a bonus action on your turn, you may expend a spell slot to target a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. Roll a number of that creature's hit dice equal to the level of the spell slot that you expended, and add their Constitution modifier. That creature either recovers as many hit points or takes as much irreducible damage (your choice) equal to the result. This cannot damage a creature below half of its maximum hit points, and it cannot heal a creature past half of its maximum hit points. In order to use this on a creature, you must have conducted at least 24 hours of biomantic study on that creature's species.

Empowered Biomancy

You have achieved some degree of mastery over biomancy. Starting at 10th level, whenever you cast a non-harmful non-undead-related necromancy spell on a creature, you may choose to have the effect be as though it were cast using a spell slot one level higher than you used. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Pinnacle of Thanatology

You have learned how to bestow artificial vitality on others, as well as how to more effectively use your Twist Organs feature. Starting at 14th level, when you use Anatomical Assistance, you may use d4s in place of a creature's normal hit dice. You may do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain one expended use after a short rest and all expended uses after a long rest. Additionally, when you use Twist Organs, you may now heal a creature up to three quarters of its maximum hit points, and you can damage a creature to a quarter of its maximum hit points. Both of these effects require you to have performed at least 100 hours of biomantic study on that creature's species.