D&D 5E Level 6 Wizard (Necromancer): Where to go from here?

[Pinwheel]

Hi there guys! I've been playing in a campaign for some time now and finally reached my initial character goal of hitting Wizard 6 for the Necromancer arcane tradition features. Been having a lot of fun with skeletons so far, and am happy with where I'm at.

I would really appreciate some input on how to move forward with this, however. I feel as though I've gotten the most bang for my buck as far as this arcane tradition goes. The level ten feature is decent, but not particularly interesting. The 14th level feature, Command Undead, is actually pretty interesting, but it's a big commitment to head that way.

The issue is, in my opinion, to really continue as a Necromancer, I'd have to start raising an encumbering number of undead. I have 4 skeletons on average now, and it's just about the sweetspot. Too much more rolling is going to slow the game down for everyone. Also, the 6th level spell Create Undead offers ghouls -- who aren't much to look at. And the later two features, Wights and Mummies, don't seem too hot when they finally come "online" so to speak.

So a big part of me wants to focus on just a small number of easily replaceable undead (3rd level slots) to use as meatshields. Due to bounded accuracy, I feel like Skeletal archers will remain useful the whole game if I use them as fire support and not so much as frontliners.

I would love opinions on alternate paths to travel, and offer a few thoughts below. Anyway it cuts, I'll probably take wizard to 8 to get the next ASI:

1. Continue wizard.
---Pro: full caster spell progression, level 14 class feature, and 6th level spell Create Undead.
---Con: I am kind of having to limit my amount of undead for ease of play. The higher level spells don't offer much to necromancy except for Finger of Death. That being said, high level Wizard spells are incredibly impressive.

2. Dip Rogue.
---Pro: Thematically fitting as a sort of grim surgeon/frankenstien, using my anatomy knowledge to strike foes. Works well with new wizard SCAG cantrips such as booming blade and greenflame blade. Would allow me to "wade in" with my undead, and still use them for protection. Could also go for thief and Healer feat to be something of a necromancer medic.
---Con: Loose full caster progression. 6 levels of Wizard HD so far, but my con is 16, so I'll be soft. Some turns I'll need to use bonus actions to give my undead specific orders. Intelligence as a stat isn't useful for multiclassing.

3. Pick up as Sorcerer.
--Pro: would let me work as the groups fire support. Nothing here directly supports necromancy as a theme. But I could twin or quicken, increasing my damage output significantly and using my skeletons for fire support.
--Con: Charisma as casting ability for any of my sorcery slots. Not super true to theme, but blasting is fun.

I would love any feedback, advice, or additional build possibilities.

Thanks!

 

[ccs]

I would continue on as a wizard.
Unless there was some in-story reason that necessitated a skill/career change (ex: a few years back I played a character who started out as a wizard. Then he got expelled from the Wizards guild - wich meant in our game that he wasn't allowed to advance as a wizard. So he became a bard. It was PF so there's an incredible # of variations thus performance wasn't too essential....)

Merely wanting to do x damage/round would never be sufficient. Nor would considering an upcoming lvs ability as meh or limited due to how we play. So I'd remain a wizard, keep making the skeletons I find effective & make mummies or whatever as opportunity presents.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Question: are you more interested in being a Wizard (Necromancer) or a Necromancer (Wizard)? That is, is death per se your thing, or is magic your thing? You're obviously not looking for powergaming advice or you wouldn't stop at four skeletons (since Animate Dead is basically the most-efficient-possible use of your concentration/action economy), so presumably you're looking for concept advice.

I've played up to Necromancer 9/Warlock 2 (Eldritch Spear + Spell Sniper for 600' counter-sniping vs. hobgoblins) and really, really enjoyed the experience. (Using the DMG spell point variant BTW.) And I can say with confidence that a pure Necromancer using would be fun as well, since I didn't multiclass until after Necro-7, and while Eldritch Blast is fun, there has yet to be a fight where it was actually more important to the outcome than eight to twenty skeleton archers or Hypnotic Pattern or Wall of Force or other wizard stuff.

I think your Rogue dip could be fun as well (and from experience I'll say that Fighter 1/Necromancer X is a blast as well although it's too late for you to go down that path). Sorcerer... meh. Trying to branch out into sorcerer to increase your DPR via Quicken on occasion (so you can throw a Fireball and a cantrip) is, from an optimization perspective, worse than just animating another couple of skeletons... and from a roleplaying/fun perspective it doesn't sound much better. Necromancer 9 can't quite do everything that a Sorc 3/Necro 6 can do, e.g. Careful Web could be a lot of fun for your skeletons to play in... but I'm not at all confident that what you'd gain by by going Sorc is enough to make up for what you'd lose. If you do go sorc, I imagine you'd want to stop at Sorc 3 and then return to Wizard.

BTW, when you write, "Con: Charisma as casting ability for any of my sorcery slots," what do you mean? You can use metamagic on your regular old Necromancer spells too, so you get to keep using Int on your Fireballs/Web/Hypnotic Pattern/etc. And the multiclassing rules are quite explicit that your slots are not "sorcerer slots" or "wizard slots," they're just spellcasting slots, usable on any spells you have prepared (or "known", in the sorc's case).

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

BTW, there are a lot of fun combos for Necromancers. You're aware, I'm sure, that you can create a Wight at level 15 and then use Command Undead to dominate it permanently with no ongoing cost. You're also aware that you could potentially pick up your own personal Beholder Zombie or White Dragon Dracolich or Mummy Lord slave at some point (use Bestow Curse and/or Feeblemind to ensure that you win the initial contest so the opportunity doesn't get wasted). You can also cast Stinking Cloud/Cloudkill and let your skeletons fight within it (they're immune to poison). You can Mage Armor your skeletons. You can make your skeletons grapple enemies and push them off cliffs, or jump off cliffs while holding the enemies. (Re-animate the bones later.) You can create a Demiplane and fill it entirely with as many superskeletons (33 HP and d6+8 damage per attack) as you can animate (call it 150), and then use it as a Doomsday device (e.g. scry-and-die variant). You can cast Seeming to disguise your whole skeleton army as a squad of grim-faced soldiers led by a sergeant (your ghoul/wight). Your can create wights and then rather of renewing the spell on them every day, Geas them instead. (Doesn't work on ghouls/ghasts/mummies though because they're immune to charm.)

And you're a full wizard on top.

 

[Pinwheel]

:ccs
My group and I don't really think that mechanics and fluff need to be so intertwined. It'd be fine for a disadvantaged savant to become a skilled wizard with enough research on his own. Likewise, it'd be fine for a wizard, not pleased with his ability to stay afloat in combat, to decide to be taught by a mercenary to learn how to use armor and weapons, and how to "give it their all" (aka: action surge), or for a wizard to feel like he's "reached his potential" in the class (aka: doesn't want the level 14th feature).

That being said, I appreciate your advice. There's definitely some great ways to strengthen the necromancy aspect of the character, as pointed out by the other posters, and I'm in no way worried that continuing straight up the wizard tree would make me a weak or incompetent character!

:Hemlock
Thanks for the feedback. Last session I got an excellent chance to play fire support necro, using Melf's Minute Meteors coupled with Scorching Ray and 4 archer skeletons. Felt like a WWII flak battery, shooting down a group of attacking manticores! I'm overall more interested in being a Necromancer more than a Wizard.

Necromancy, as you pointed out, has tremendous potential. Unfortunately, I don't think my table mates would appreciate me pushing those spells to their limit and having an entire undead legion at my command. I have a bit of a reputation for making "OP" characters at my table, and don't want to make something that feels like it's smurfing the action economy (For the record, I don't think my builds are OP. I just like to take a concept and push it to the limit!)

I've played a warlock in the past and Eldritch Blasting away can be a super fun time, might be worth looking into having ease-of-blasting, and save my precious slots for skeletons and control spells.

In regards to multiclassing spells, perhaps I wasn't clear. I know slots are completely interchangeable, but if I'm not mistaken, spells from a given class must be cast with that class's attributes, correct? Ex: if I got scorching ray from sorcerer, I'd cast it with charisma, not intelligence.

Those are some awesomely creative ideas to enhance your pets without just stacking 30 of them, and the idea of a demiplane full of skeleton fun is amazing. Thanks a ton for the suggestions.

 

[Miladoon]

I would start on ranger and go beastmaster . That way you have a constant supply of bones.

 

[Herobizkit]

Cleric with the Death domain, if your DM allows it. ^_^