With Necromancy lacking in most games, especially in D&D due to its action economy. I have been trying to brainstorm a subclass feature that will make the Necromancer finally live up to its name. Here is what I have come up with that I would like feedback on. Feel free to pick apart the idea to help find flaws.
Level 1 Subclass Feature: Raise the Dead
Starting at first level, the Necromancer can create undead minions based on any creature that he or she has defeated in the past. You can only raise creatures with a CR level equal to or less than your Necromancer level, costing 50 GP per CR level of the creature and 200 GP per CR level of the creature starting at CR level 10. The creature type becomes undead, and the minion can not use any spellcasting abilities it previously possesssed if its CR level is below 10.
Any time you have 3 or more of the same creature as a minion, it automatically becomes a horde unit. A horde unit counts as a Large Creature that combines the creatures HP, Damage, and gains +1 to its hit chance per creature in the horde. Furthermore, all attacks against the Necromancer and all damage the Necromancer would take is transfered to the horde so long as the horde is within 10ft of the Necromancer. If a horde is reduce below 50% of its total health, it loses half its accumulated horde value and the benefits thereof.
(A horde is a player controlled swarm unit to free up action economy. The meat shield aspect assumes the player is basically within the horde, but D&D does not have systems for that.)
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This class feature, in theory, would allow the necromancer to create any type of undead minion from creatures previously encountered at a cost. A simplified material system that allows for a Pokemon style caster subclass. This feature also gives the necromancer something to do with his GP since a Necromancer is not going to be buying armor, weapons, or items due to his class restrictions. Hence allowing the Necromancer to truly focus on the Necromancy school without having to dip into other schools of magic, as the class feature discourages muticlassing by rewarding sticking to the primary class. This would make the Necromacer a survivability focused subclass, with pet / horde building as the focus of the classes DPS. Say goodbye to the days of the Necromancer feeling like just a reflavored dark caster that can only do the same thing as every other caster that grabs necromancy spells.
This idea is based on the 5e's 14th level necromancy feature which is, in my opinion, rarely utilized due to the level it unlocks at and its heavy restrictions on what you can raise.
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At least as far as I can think of, the only flaw I can see right now is how to create a mechanic that accounts for creatures in the horde being killed since its scaling is based on the number of creatures in the horde. I left it simplified, as all mechanics should be, but I think there could be issues with the simple system that just copies the swarm rules.
Edit 1: I suppose clarifying "Starting at first level, the Necromancer can create undead minions based on any creature that he or she has defeated in the past" would avoid some GM / Player arguing over intent of the rules.
Hello, and Thank You for your time in Advance:
With Necromancy lacking in most games, especially in D&D due to its action economy. I have been trying to brainstorm a subclass feature that will make the Necromancer finally live up to its name. Here is what I have come up with that I would like feedback on. Feel free to pick apart the idea to help find flaws.
Level 1 Subclass Feature: Raise the Dead
Starting at first level, the Necromancer can create undead minions based on any creature that he or she has defeated in the past. You can only raise creatures with a CR level equal to or less than your Necromancer level, costing 50 GP per CR level of the creature and 200 GP per CR level of the creature starting at CR level 10. The creature type becomes undead, and the minion can not use any spellcasting abilities it previously possesssed if its CR level is below 10.
Any time you have 3 or more of the same creature as a minion, it automatically becomes a horde unit. A horde unit counts as a Large Creature that combines the creatures HP, Damage, and gains +1 to its hit chance per creature in the horde. Furthermore, all attacks against the Necromancer and all damage the Necromancer would take is transfered to the horde so long as the horde is within 10ft of the Necromancer. If a horde is reduce below 50% of its total health, it loses half its accumulated horde value and the benefits thereof.
(A horde is a player controlled swarm unit to free up action economy. The meat shield aspect assumes the player is basically within the horde, but D&D does not have systems for that.)
----
This class feature, in theory, would allow the necromancer to create any type of undead minion from creatures previously encountered at a cost. A simplified material system that allows for a Pokemon style caster subclass. This feature also gives the necromancer something to do with his GP since a Necromancer is not going to be buying armor, weapons, or items due to his class restrictions. Hence allowing the Necromancer to truly focus on the Necromancy school without having to dip into other schools of magic, as the class feature discourages muticlassing by rewarding sticking to the primary class. This would make the Necromacer a survivability focused subclass, with pet / horde building as the focus of the classes DPS. Say goodbye to the days of the Necromancer feeling like just a reflavored dark caster that can only do the same thing as every other caster that grabs necromancy spells.
This idea is based on the 5e's 14th level necromancy feature which is, in my opinion, rarely utilized due to the level it unlocks at and its heavy restrictions on what you can raise.
---
At least as far as I can think of, the only flaw I can see right now is how to create a mechanic that accounts for creatures in the horde being killed since its scaling is based on the number of creatures in the horde. I left it simplified, as all mechanics should be, but I think there could be issues with the simple system that just copies the swarm rules.
Edit Log:
Edit 1:
I suppose clarifying "Starting at first level, the Necromancer can create undead minions based on any creature that he or she has defeated in the past" would avoid some GM / Player arguing over intent of the rules.