School of the Cycle

Members of the School of the Cycle are necromancers, but they take a different, almost religious approach to it. They place a much higher emphasis on balance and the cycle of life and death. If a member of the School of the Cycle is religious, they would most likely worship Kelemvor.

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.

Marrowcraft

Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to manipulate bones. As an action, you can target a living creature within 30 feet. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = your spell save DC) or receive a broken or fractured bone. Depending on the bone broken, the creature receives one of the following detriments until healed. Roll 1d6 to determine the bone broken and the subsequent detriment.

• 1- Skull- Disadvantage on Concentration checks due to concussion or other head wound.
• 2- Jaw- Disadvantage on spells requiring a verbal component.
• 3- Arm- Disadvantage on attacks.
• 4- Hand- Disadvantage on checks requiring the use of hands (certain climb checks, Sleight of hand and other Dexterity based things).
• 5- Rib- Disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.
• 6- Leg/Foot- Halved movement speed.

A broken bone can be healed by the same methods a disease or poison could, or by being restored to full health. Alternatively, you can target a dead creature that does not have the Desecrated condition as a bonus action and magically craft their bones into any slashing or piercing weapon. You are proficient with this weapon while you wield it. Creating a weapon from a corpse’s bones gives it the “Desecrated” condition. A desecrated corpse cannot be used again for Marrowcraft, Devour, or Corpse Explosion, and cannot be brought back to life by any spell weaker than 7th level.

Devour

Starting at 6th level, you gain a bite attack. When you bite a living creature, you deal 2d6+ your Intelligence Modifier piercing damage, and gain HP equal to half the damage dealt. The damage of this attack increases to 3d6 at 11th level, and to 4d6 at 16th level. Alternatively, you can break down dead creatures that do not have the Desecrated condition into magic, regaining a spell slot equal to or less than the creature’s CR divided by 2 rounded up. You cannot “regain” extra spell slots, or slots of a level too high for you. This ability does not work on creatures below CR 1. If used on a corpse, it gives it the “Desecrated” condition.

Corpse Explosion

Starting at 10th level, when there is a dead creature that does not have the Desecrated condition within 60 feet of you, you can use an action to cause it to explode with putrefying gases in a 15-foot radius. When the corpse explodes, it deals poison damage equal to ¼ the creature’s maximum hit dice, and another ¼ the creature’s maximum hit dice in bludgeoning damage. This gives the corpse the “Desecrated” condition.

Bonestorm

Starting at 14th level, you have learned to conjure a storm of bone from raw materials around you. These bones can be pulled from corpses or bones within the earth or even created with calcium and minerals within the rock itself. The storm attacks and protects while it is active. You gain the following benefits for one minute:

• Creatures that cast necromancy spells that raise dead within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or lose the spell while still expending spell slots to cast.
• The bone shards act as if summoned through the Animate Objects spell.
• As long as you have one bone shard within 5 feet of you, you gain the deflection portion of the Monk’s Deflect Missiles for the duration.
• During the first round after you use this ability, all creatures within 15 feet must make a Constitution saving throw or take damage as if you used Corpse Explosion targeting yourself.
• All corpses within 15 feet of you gain the Desecrated condition.

You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.