Out of all the feats from Libris Mortis (D&D 3.5E) this is giving me the hardest difficulty for adapting it to 5E.
"When you are ready and able to acquire a new familiar, you may choose to gain a stitched flesh familiar. Prerequisite: Ability to acquire a new familiar, ability to cast three or more necro mancy spells. Benefit: When choosing a familiar, you may choose a stitched flesh familiar. A stitched flesh familiar appears similar to any of the standard familiars available in the Player’s Handbook, except that the stitched flesh familiar is obviously sewn together from many different creatures of that kind and, to a practiced eye, is clearly an undead creature. A stitched flesh familiar is magically linked to its master in the same way as a normal familiar. A stitched flesh familiar uses the basic statistics for a creature of its kind, as given in the Monster Manual, except as noted below.
Hit Dice: A stitched flesh familiar has a d12 Hit Die and gains no bonus hit points from Constitution (since it is an undead creature). For effects that depend upon Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal Hit Dice total, whichever is higher. Hit Points: Use 1/2 the master’s total or the familiar’s normal total, whichever is higher. Attacks: Use the master’s base attack bonus or the familiar’s, whichever is higher. Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the familiar’s base save bonus or the master’s (as calculated from his character level), whichever is higher. Familiar Special Abilities: additional abilities... stitched flesh familiar grants its master the ability to control 4 more Hit Dice of undead than he is normally capable of controlling (both through the [control] undead ability and through spells such as animate dead)." Originally from Libris Mortis 30.pg
Right now pretty much keep everything except change familiar special ability: Once per day when casting animate dead or dance macabre you may create two additional skeletons or zombies.
I don't know if this translates that well as the hit dice used to be more useful as you could put towards getting a stronger undead creature.
I've been tinkering with a lot of Necromancy things lately and I'm not sure if it is worth a feat, maybe more of an amendment to the animate dead spell is a better place for it. The closest thing I can come up with for a spell stitched familiar is:
*****
Your necromantic experimentation on your familiar has created a zombie like creation. Your familiar changes as follows:
Creature name changes to Spell Stitched Familiar
Type changes to Tiny Beast, Undead
Change Form: Now your familiar is undead you lose the ability to change its form through the use of the Find Familiar spell. However, you can cast animate dead as a ritual on the familiar and can change its form to any that are permissible with the Find Familiar spell (the material component for animate dead is also required as this forms the new body for the familiar).
Hit Dice changes to 1d12 + familiars Cons bonus.
Gains the special ability Turn Resistance (gains advantage on attempts to resist being Turned/Destroyed via channel divinity style effects).
Gain Immune to Poison and the Poisoned Condition
Gain the special ability: Undead Fortitude (as per zombie)
Creatures Dexterity Score is reduced by 4 points.
All other Ability Scores, Senses, Special Abilities and actions etc remain the unchanged.
*****
There is also the Grave Touched Template form 3.5e I am tinkering with as well which might be more of a feat option.
Thank you for your input I really appreciate when other people can help me out with these projects!
I don't know if having a more durable familiar is really worth it (could be worth it with the warlock packed of the chain) The other possibility to update to the familiar special ability could be:
At 5th level you can cast animate dead once a day as a ritual to reasserts your control 2 +D4 undead already under your control. At 11th level you can cast create undead as a ritual to reasserts your control D4 undead already under your control.
I've been updating some other feats from Libris Mortis and they've translated a lot easier. I'll post them below and another comment.
Undead you raise or create are tougher than normal.
Prerequisite: non-good aligned
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +4 Strength and +2 hit points per Hit Die.
Originally from Libris Mortis 28.pg
Hardened Flesh
Undead you raise or create can better handle themselves in a fight.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Every undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +2 natural armor bonus to Armor Class.
Originally from Libris Mortis 25.pg
Bolster resistance
Undead you raise or create are more resistant to turning than normal.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains +4 turn resistance.
Originally from Libris Mortis 28.pg
Deadly chill
Undead you raise or create deal more damage than normal.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each corporeal undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell deals an extra 1d6 points of cold damage with its natural weapons.
Originally from Libris Mortis 25.pg
Destruction retribution
Undead you raise or create harbor a retributive curse that is unleashed if they are destroyed.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell releases a burst of negative energy upon its destruction, dealing 1d6 points of damage plus an additional 1d6 points per 2 Hit Dice to every creature within a 10-foot spread (Refl ex DC 15 half). This damage comes from negative energy, and it therefore heals undead creatures.
Originally from Libris Mortis 26.pg
Nimble bones
Undead you raise or create are faster and more nimble than normal.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +4 bonus on initiative checks and a 10-foot increase to its base land speed.
Originally from Libris Mortis 29.pg
Tomb-Tainted Soul
Undead you raise or create can better handle themselves in a fight.
Prerequisite: non-good aligned
Benefit: You are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if you were an undead creature. This feat gives no other penalties or benefits of the undead type.
The application of negative energy, such as an inflict spell, can restore hit points to an undead. Generally, any spell that would harm a living creature by the application of negative energy heals the same number of lost hit points when cast on an undead. Generally, any spell that would harm a living creature by the application of negative energy heals the same number of lost hit points when cast on an undead. Generally, any spell that would Heal a living creature would damage the same number of healed hit points when cast on an undead.
For adapting and 5E I will provide a list of potential spells:
inflict wounds
Blight
Negative Energy Flood
Circle of Death
harm
Finger of Death
Originally from Libris Mortis 31.pg
Tomb-Born Resilience
The power of undeath taints you, deadening your mind and body to the effects of mindcontrolling magic, poison, and disease.
Prerequisite: Tomb-Tainted Soul
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist mind-affecting spells and abilities, poison, and disease. Your nails or claws grow yellow and rotten. Although this change has no effect on the damage of your unarmed or natural attacks, most individuals find such creatures horrid-looking.
The power of undeath taints you, body and soul. Its power has removed your need to sleep and eat.
Prerequisite: Tomb-Tainted Soul
Benefit: You do not need to sleep, and you are immune to magic sleep effects. If you are a spellcaster, you still require 8 hours of uninterrupted rest (but not sleep) to prepare your spells. In addition, you no longer need to eat. Your body grows unnaturally thin, your fl sh stretching tightly over your bones to give you a freakish, skeletal appearance.
From my 5e Homebrew Edition Players Handbook (available on drivethru RPG...shameless plug)
*****
Entropic Reaper: Requires: The ability to cast a level 2 spell as either a Wizard (Necromancer) or Cleric (Death or Grave domains). You feel a deep connection with death and you learn the following spells: Entropic Reaper (see below) and Phantom Steed (See the PHB). You gain the Phantom Steed spell when you gain the ability to cast 3rd level spells and Entropic Reaper Cantrip when you gain this feat. These spells count as wizard spells if you are a wizard or cleric spells if you are a cleric but they do not count against any restrictions to the number of spells you know. Entropic Reaper spell description: Cantrip (Necromancy) spell. Casting time: 1 bonus action, Duration: 1 minute (no concentration required), Components: VSM (requires a staff), Verbal: "Death incarnate, into this staff seep, extend a finger, a soul to reap". Description: You utter an incantation and a curved black blade of necrotic energy forms at the end of your Staff making it resemble a scythe. You are proficient with this weapon, it has the two handed property. If you hit, you deal 2d4 Necrotic Damage but for the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using this weapon, If you lose your grasp on this weapon the spell ends.
Horrid Visage: Requires: The ability to case the level 1 spell: Cause Fear and the level 3 spell: Fear. You become infused with necrotic energy which can be channelled to momentarily alter your appearance and unsettle or terrify those around you, for your soul has been touched by the shadow of death. You can use your Action to affect each creature within 30 feet of you, that you can see and that can see you, to make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC to resist this affect is equal to your spell casting DC.
Necropotent: Requires: The ability to cast a level 1 spell that deals Necrotic damage. When you gain this feat, spells you cast ignore resistance to Necrotic damage. In addition, when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals Necrotic damage, you can treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2.
Necrotic Surge: Requires: The ability to cast a level 2Necromancy spell. When you expend a spell slot to cast a Necromancy spell, you can temporarily boost the spells power at the expense of your own life force. If you do, you gain either a +2 bonus to hit or increase the spell DC by +2, these bonuses last for the duration of the spell. However, as you expend the spell slot, you lose any resistance to necrotic damage you may have and you take ld6 necrotic damage per level of the spell slot expended. You only regain your resistance to necrotic damage once the spell ends.
Profane Life Leech: Requires: The ability to cast a level 3 Necromancy spell that deals Necrotic damage. As an action you can expend a spell slot and deal Necrotic damage to everyone in a 10ft diameter around you. You deal 1d6 necrotic damage to each target per level of the spell slot expended. This targets friends and foes alike. In addition you also heal the same amount of hit points (i.e. if you expended a level 1 slot and dealt 6 necrotic damage, you would heal 6 hit points).
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First, I like it a lot, that someone would try to converse the Stitched Flesh Familiar to 5e. I always loved that feat and used it in Pathfinder for the Character I am currently playing.
Still I think the Benefits you gain from a Stitched Flesh Familiar aren't really worth a feat in 5e and from my humble opinion the easiest way of dealing with that is to simply make it an optional rule to take a Familiar like that. Imps, Pseudodragons, Tressym etc. are just optionel Familiars and it works just fine. So just put out some Undead tiny creatures, give them a nice special ability and go for it. No feat, no spell just a choice.
Using those variant rules I think only a Crawling Claw would be eligible, I like the idea of using the feat to allow a character to pull a skeletal pseudodragon or zombie gazer from the shadowfell though, have them look like a miniature Dracolich and Zombie Behlder respectively.
Out of all the feats from Libris Mortis (D&D 3.5E) this is giving me the hardest difficulty for adapting it to 5E.
"When you are ready and able to acquire a new familiar, you may choose to gain a stitched flesh familiar.
Prerequisite: Ability to acquire a new familiar, ability to cast three or more necro mancy spells.
Benefit: When choosing a familiar, you may choose a stitched flesh familiar. A stitched flesh familiar appears similar to any of the standard familiars available in the Player’s Handbook, except that the stitched flesh familiar is obviously sewn together from many different creatures of that kind and, to a practiced eye, is clearly an undead creature. A stitched flesh familiar is magically linked to its master in the same way as a normal familiar. A stitched flesh familiar uses the basic statistics for a creature of its kind, as given in the
Monster Manual, except as noted below.
Hit Dice: A stitched flesh familiar has a d12 Hit Die and gains no bonus hit points from Constitution (since it is an undead creature). For effects that depend upon Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal Hit Dice total, whichever is higher.
Hit Points: Use 1/2 the master’s total or the familiar’s normal total, whichever is higher.
Attacks: Use the master’s base attack bonus or the familiar’s, whichever is higher.
Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the familiar’s base save bonus or the master’s (as calculated from his character level), whichever is higher.
Familiar Special Abilities: additional abilities... stitched flesh familiar grants its master the ability to control 4 more Hit Dice of undead than he is normally capable of controlling (both through the [control] undead ability and through spells such as animate dead)." Originally from Libris Mortis 30.pg
Right now pretty much keep everything except change familiar special ability: Once per day when casting animate dead or dance macabre you may create two additional skeletons or zombies.
I don't know if this translates that well as the hit dice used to be more useful as you could put towards getting a stronger undead creature.
What does everyone else think?
I've been tinkering with a lot of Necromancy things lately and I'm not sure if it is worth a feat, maybe more of an amendment to the animate dead spell is a better place for it. The closest thing I can come up with for a spell stitched familiar is:
*****
Your necromantic experimentation on your familiar has created a zombie like creation. Your familiar changes as follows:
Creature name changes to Spell Stitched Familiar
Type changes to Tiny Beast, Undead
Change Form: Now your familiar is undead you lose the ability to change its form through the use of the Find Familiar spell. However, you can cast animate dead as a ritual on the familiar and can change its form to any that are permissible with the Find Familiar spell (the material component for animate dead is also required as this forms the new body for the familiar).
Hit Dice changes to 1d12 + familiars Cons bonus.
Gains the special ability Turn Resistance (gains advantage on attempts to resist being Turned/Destroyed via channel divinity style effects).
Gain Immune to Poison and the Poisoned Condition
Gain the special ability: Undead Fortitude (as per zombie)
Creatures Dexterity Score is reduced by 4 points.
All other Ability Scores, Senses, Special Abilities and actions etc remain the unchanged.
*****
There is also the Grave Touched Template form 3.5e I am tinkering with as well which might be more of a feat option.
Thank you for your input I really appreciate when other people can help me out with these projects!
I don't know if having a more durable familiar is really worth it (could be worth it with the warlock packed of the chain)
The other possibility to update to the familiar special ability could be:
At 5th level you can cast animate dead once a day as a ritual to reasserts your control 2 +D4 undead already under your control.
At 11th level you can cast create undead as a ritual to reasserts your control D4 undead already under your control.
I've been updating some other feats from Libris Mortis and they've translated a lot easier. I'll post them below and another comment.
Corpsecrafter
Undead you raise or create are tougher than normal.
Prerequisite: non-good aligned
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +4 Strength and +2 hit points per Hit Die.
Originally from Libris Mortis 28.pg
Hardened Flesh
Undead you raise or create can better handle themselves in a fight.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Every undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +2 natural armor bonus to Armor Class.
Originally from Libris Mortis 25.pg
Bolster resistance
Undead you raise or create are more resistant to turning than normal.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains +4 turn resistance.
Originally from Libris Mortis 28.pg
Deadly chill
Undead you raise or create deal more damage than normal.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each corporeal undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell deals an extra 1d6 points of cold damage with its natural weapons.
Originally from Libris Mortis 25.pg
Destruction retribution
Undead you raise or create harbor a retributive curse that is unleashed if they are destroyed.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell releases a burst of negative energy upon its destruction, dealing 1d6 points of damage plus an additional 1d6 points per 2 Hit Dice to every creature within a 10-foot spread (Refl ex DC 15 half). This damage comes from negative energy, and it therefore heals undead creatures.
Originally from Libris Mortis 26.pg
Nimble bones
Undead you raise or create are faster and more nimble than normal.
Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Each undead you raise or create with any necromancy spell gains a +4 bonus on initiative checks and a 10-foot increase to its base land speed.
Originally from Libris Mortis 29.pg
Tomb-Tainted Soul
Undead you raise or create can better handle themselves in a fight.
Prerequisite: non-good aligned
Benefit: You are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if you were an undead creature. This feat gives no other penalties or benefits of the undead type.
The application of negative energy, such as an inflict spell, can restore hit points to an undead. Generally, any spell that would harm a living creature by the application of negative energy heals the same number of lost hit points when cast on an undead. Generally, any spell that would harm a living creature by the application of negative energy heals the same number of lost hit points when cast on an undead. Generally, any spell that would Heal a living creature would damage the same number of healed hit points when cast on an undead.
For adapting and 5E I will provide a list of potential spells:
Originally from Libris Mortis 31.pg
Tomb-Born Resilience
The power of undeath taints you, deadening your mind and body to the effects of mindcontrolling magic, poison, and disease.
Prerequisite: Tomb-Tainted Soul
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist mind-affecting spells and abilities, poison, and disease. Your nails or claws grow yellow and rotten. Although this change has no effect on the damage of your unarmed or natural attacks, most individuals find such creatures horrid-looking.
Originally from Libris Mortis 30.pg
Tomb-Born Vitality
The power of undeath taints you, body and soul. Its power has removed your need to sleep and eat.
Prerequisite: Tomb-Tainted Soul
Benefit: You do not need to sleep, and you are immune to magic sleep effects. If you are a spellcaster, you still require 8 hours of uninterrupted rest (but not sleep) to prepare your spells. In addition, you no longer need to eat. Your body grows unnaturally thin, your fl sh stretching tightly over your bones to give you a freakish, skeletal appearance.
Originally from Libris Mortis 31.pg
Here's a list of the feats I've put on D&DB so far...
Curse Bringer (adding bane and Hex to the Necromancer spell list and extended range for Bestow Curse):
https://www.dndbeyond.com/feats/167378-curse-bringer
Requiem (summoning Spectral Undead):
https://www.dndbeyond.com/feats/188253-requiem
Tomb Born (for starting the process of becoming undead):
https://www.dndbeyond.com/feats/190797-tomb-born
*****
From my 5e Homebrew Edition Players Handbook (available on drivethru RPG...shameless plug)
*****
Entropic Reaper:
Requires: The ability to cast a level 2 spell as either a Wizard (Necromancer) or Cleric (Death or Grave domains).
You feel a deep connection with death and you learn the following spells: Entropic Reaper (see below) and Phantom Steed (See the PHB). You gain the Phantom Steed spell when you gain the ability to cast 3rd level spells and Entropic Reaper Cantrip when you gain this feat. These spells count as wizard spells if you are a wizard or cleric spells if you are a cleric but they do not count against any restrictions to the number of spells you know.
Entropic Reaper spell description:
Cantrip (Necromancy) spell. Casting time: 1 bonus action, Duration: 1 minute (no concentration required), Components: VSM (requires a staff),
Verbal: "Death incarnate, into this staff seep, extend a finger, a soul to reap".
Description: You utter an incantation and a curved black blade of necrotic energy forms at the end of your Staff making it resemble a scythe. You are proficient with this weapon, it has the two handed property. If you hit, you deal 2d4 Necrotic Damage but for the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using this weapon, If you lose your grasp on this weapon the spell ends.
Horrid Visage:
Requires: The ability to case the level 1 spell: Cause Fear and the level 3 spell: Fear.
You become infused with necrotic energy which can be channelled to momentarily alter your appearance and unsettle or terrify those around you, for your soul has been touched by the shadow of death.
You can use your Action to affect each creature within 30 feet of you, that you can see and that can see you, to make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC to resist this affect is equal to your spell casting DC.
Necropotent:
Requires: The ability to cast a level 1 spell that deals Necrotic damage.
When you gain this feat, spells you cast ignore resistance to Necrotic damage. In addition, when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals Necrotic damage, you can treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2.
Necrotic Surge:
Requires: The ability to cast a level 2Necromancy spell.
When you expend a spell slot to cast a Necromancy spell, you can temporarily boost the spells power at the expense of your own life force. If you do, you gain either a +2 bonus to hit or increase the spell DC by +2, these bonuses last for the duration of the spell. However, as you expend the spell slot, you lose any resistance to necrotic damage you may have and you take ld6 necrotic damage per level of the spell slot expended. You only regain your resistance to necrotic damage once the spell ends.
Profane Life Leech:
Requires: The ability to cast a level 3 Necromancy spell that deals Necrotic damage.
As an action you can expend a spell slot and deal Necrotic damage to everyone in a 10ft diameter around you. You deal 1d6 necrotic damage to each target per level of the spell slot expended. This targets friends and foes alike. In addition you also heal the same amount of hit points (i.e. if you expended a level 1 slot and dealt 6 necrotic damage, you would heal 6 hit points).
First, I like it a lot, that someone would try to converse the Stitched Flesh Familiar to 5e. I always loved that feat and used it in Pathfinder for the Character I am currently playing.
Still I think the Benefits you gain from a Stitched Flesh Familiar aren't really worth a feat in 5e and from my humble opinion the easiest way of dealing with that is to simply make it an optional rule to take a Familiar like that. Imps, Pseudodragons, Tressym etc. are just optionel Familiars and it works just fine. So just put out some Undead tiny creatures, give them a nice special ability and go for it. No feat, no spell just a choice.
Using those variant rules I think only a Crawling Claw would be eligible, I like the idea of using the feat to allow a character to pull a skeletal pseudodragon or zombie gazer from the shadowfell though, have them look like a miniature Dracolich and Zombie Behlder respectively.