After playing as a 2014 necromancer and recently reading the new 2025 UA necromancer, I have felt dissatisfied with the options available and thought I'd have a go at creating my own!
I'd love to get some feedback, especially regarding balance and any ideas of spell interactions/combinations that could be fun!
This is my first time homebrewing a subclass so feel free to school me in how to homebrew!
Wizard: School of Necromancy
Level 3: Necromancy Savant
Choose two spells from the Necromancy school no higher than level two and add them to your spell book for free. Whenever you gain a new level of spell slots in this class you may add one spell from the Necromancy school to your spell book for free. The spell can be at no higher level than your highest-level spell slot. These spells can be from ANY class’s spell list.
Undead companion
Add the Find Familiar spell to your spell book for free. When you summon a familiar you can choose from several additional necromantic options; a Crawling Claw or a zombified version of the original spell’s options. Zombie familiars are considered Undead and gain the undead fortitude trait.
Level 6: Champion of Undeath
Add the Animate Dead spell to your spell book for free. You always have it prepared, and when you cast the spell, the necromancer may forgo creating the undead indicated by the spell to perform a rite of undeath creating a single undead champion. The undead champion uses the zombie or skeleton stat block but with the wizard’s proficiency bonus as well as an additional trait/ability based on the rite used to animate it. The necromancer can control one undead champion at a time and animating another removes control over the previously animated undead champion.
The necromancer learns a number of rites equal to their proficiency bonus and learns additional rites as their proficiency bonus increases. Creating an undead champion requires a casting of animate dead on a single corpse or bone pile using a 3 level spell slot, applying a single rite ability to the undead champion. Upcasting uses one more corpse/bone pile to add an additional rite to the undead champion for every 2 spell slot levels above 3.The necromancer must recast animate dead to reassert control of the undead champion every 24 hours and when they do, it can add (1 new corpse/bone pile per additional rite), remove or change rite abilities based on the spell slot used.
Rites of Undeath
Cremation
The undead champion gains a 30ft fly speed (hover) and the incorporeal movement trait allowing it to move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If the champion ends its turn inside an object, it is shunted to the nearest unoccupied space, taking 1d10 force damage for every 5 feet travelled.
Memento Mori
The undead champion gains an additional attack on its attack action, as well as proficiency with martial weapons, heavy armor and shields.
Putrefaction
The undead champion gains the infectious rot trait. Creatures that hit the champion with a melee attack take 1d4 poison damage and must make a constitution saving throw DC 12 or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Embalming
The undead champion gains the transfer vitality ability, allowing it to use an action to touch a willing creature, dealing 1d12 necrotic damage to itself or another undead within 30ft of the champion that is controlled by the necromancer and giving the ally the damage taken in temporary hit points.
Colossal Consecration
Increases the size category of the undead champion to large, increasing its strength score by 4. If the champion is imbued with 3 or more rites including this one, its size becomes huge, and its strength score increases by 8.
Corporeal Amalgam
Increase the hit points of the undead champion by 30. When reasserting control with this rite, restore 20 hit points to the Champion. If the champion is imbued with 3 or more rites including this one, increase the champion’s hit points by 50 instead.
Level 10: Necrotic Overflow
When you expend a spell slot to cast a necromancy spell you can choose to gain the following benefits: an ally within 60ft of you gains temporary hit points equal to your intelligence modifier + the level of the spell slot used, and any necrotic damage you inflict with the spell bypasses resistance (but not immunity) to necrotic damage. You can use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.
Level 14: Embrace Undeath
You gain an enhanced version of the undead fortitude trait; If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you can make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + half the damage taken rounded up (unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit). On a success, you drop to your wizard level in hit points instead and are considered undead for the next 24 hours. If you benefit from this trait again within this 24-hour period, you will be considered permanently undead.
While considered undead you gain the following attributes; your charisma score is reduced by 4, you are damaged by healing magic and healed by necrotic damage (dealt by a levelled spell), you no longer need to eat or breath, unintelligent undead will be friendly towards you, you are immune to poison and disease, and you cannot die from old age.
Add the Summon Undead spell to your spell book for free (if Summon Undead is already in your spell book, add a different level 3 or lower necromancy spell instead). You always have it prepared and can cast it once per long rest without using a spell slot. When cast in this way it removes the concentration requirement of the spell and extends its duration to 24 hours. Only one undead spirit may be controlled at a time and casting the spell while in control of an undead spirit replaces it with a new one that requires concentration and lasts for 1 hour.
The undead spirit can also choose from 2 additional forms:
Amalgamated
Large size, +20 HP
Massive Fist. Melee weapon attack, spell attack modifier to hit, 10ft reach, hit 1d12 + 3 + the spell’s level bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target must make a strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be grappled until the end of their next turn.
Armored
+2 AC (shield)
Harrowed Presence: Allies that end their turn within 10ft of the Armored Spirit gain 10 temporary hit points until the start of their next turn.
Reaping Blade: Melee weapon attack, spell attack modifier to hit, 5ft reach, hit 1d10 + 3 + the spell’s level in cold damage.
After playing as a 2014 necromancer and recently reading the new 2025 UA necromancer, I have felt dissatisfied with the options available and thought I'd have a go at creating my own!
I'd love to get some feedback, especially regarding balance and any ideas of spell interactions/combinations that could be fun!
This is my first time homebrewing a subclass so feel free to school me in how to homebrew!
Wizard: School of Necromancy
Level 3: Necromancy Savant
Choose two spells from the Necromancy school no higher than level two and add them to your spell book for free. Whenever you gain a new level of spell slots in this class you may add one spell from the Necromancy school to your spell book for free. The spell can be at no higher level than your highest-level spell slot. These spells can be from ANY class’s spell list.
Undead companion
Add the Find Familiar spell to your spell book for free. When you summon a familiar you can choose from several additional necromantic options; a Crawling Claw or a zombified version of the original spell’s options. Zombie familiars are considered Undead and gain the undead fortitude trait.
Level 6: Champion of Undeath
Add the Animate Dead spell to your spell book for free. You always have it prepared, and when you cast the spell, the necromancer may forgo creating the undead indicated by the spell to perform a rite of undeath creating a single undead champion. The undead champion uses the zombie or skeleton stat block but with the wizard’s proficiency bonus as well as an additional trait/ability based on the rite used to animate it. The necromancer can control one undead champion at a time and animating another removes control over the previously animated undead champion.
The necromancer learns a number of rites equal to their proficiency bonus and learns additional rites as their proficiency bonus increases. Creating an undead champion requires a casting of animate dead on a single corpse or bone pile using a 3 level spell slot, applying a single rite ability to the undead champion. Upcasting uses one more corpse/bone pile to add an additional rite to the undead champion for every 2 spell slot levels above 3.The necromancer must recast animate dead to reassert control of the undead champion every 24 hours and when they do, it can add (1 new corpse/bone pile per additional rite), remove or change rite abilities based on the spell slot used.
Rites of Undeath
The undead champion gains a 30ft fly speed (hover) and the incorporeal movement trait allowing it to move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If the champion ends its turn inside an object, it is shunted to the nearest unoccupied space, taking 1d10 force damage for every 5 feet travelled.
The undead champion gains an additional attack on its attack action, as well as proficiency with martial weapons, heavy armor and shields.
The undead champion gains the infectious rot trait. Creatures that hit the champion with a melee attack take 1d4 poison damage and must make a constitution saving throw DC 12 or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.
The undead champion gains the transfer vitality ability, allowing it to use an action to touch a willing creature, dealing 1d12 necrotic damage to itself or another undead within 30ft of the champion that is controlled by the necromancer and giving the ally the damage taken in temporary hit points.
Increases the size category of the undead champion to large, increasing its strength score by 4. If the champion is imbued with 3 or more rites including this one, its size becomes huge, and its strength score increases by 8.
Increase the hit points of the undead champion by 30. When reasserting control with this rite, restore 20 hit points to the Champion. If the champion is imbued with 3 or more rites including this one, increase the champion’s hit points by 50 instead.
Level 10: Necrotic Overflow
When you expend a spell slot to cast a necromancy spell you can choose to gain the following benefits: an ally within 60ft of you gains temporary hit points equal to your intelligence modifier + the level of the spell slot used, and any necrotic damage you inflict with the spell bypasses resistance (but not immunity) to necrotic damage. You can use this ability a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.
Level 14: Embrace Undeath
You gain an enhanced version of the undead fortitude trait; If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you can make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + half the damage taken rounded up (unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit). On a success, you drop to your wizard level in hit points instead and are considered undead for the next 24 hours. If you benefit from this trait again within this 24-hour period, you will be considered permanently undead.
While considered undead you gain the following attributes; your charisma score is reduced by 4, you are damaged by healing magic and healed by necrotic damage (dealt by a levelled spell), you no longer need to eat or breath, unintelligent undead will be friendly towards you, you are immune to poison and disease, and you cannot die from old age.
Simpler alternative for the level 6 ability:
Level 6:
Champion of Undeath
Add the Summon Undead spell to your spell book for free (if Summon Undead is already in your spell book, add a different level 3 or lower necromancy spell instead). You always have it prepared and can cast it once per long rest without using a spell slot. When cast in this way it removes the concentration requirement of the spell and extends its duration to 24 hours. Only one undead spirit may be controlled at a time and casting the spell while in control of an undead spirit replaces it with a new one that requires concentration and lasts for 1 hour.
The undead spirit can also choose from 2 additional forms:
Amalgamated
Large size, +20 HP
Massive Fist. Melee weapon attack, spell attack modifier to hit, 10ft reach, hit 1d12 + 3 + the spell’s level bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target must make a strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be grappled until the end of their next turn.
Armored
+2 AC (shield)
Harrowed Presence: Allies that end their turn within 10ft of the Armored Spirit gain 10 temporary hit points until the start of their next turn.
Reaping Blade: Melee weapon attack, spell attack modifier to hit, 5ft reach, hit 1d10 + 3 + the spell’s level in cold damage.