Where can i find info on Necromancers?

[Nyaricus]

Ny,

True but I generally feel Death Master is way cooler than Dread Necromancer.

I sah a copy of DCI in an FLGS of mine. I want it!!! Hopefully it wont sell in two weeks, because I won't have a paycheck for awhile... :\

 

[Nightfall]

Well even if you don't like Death Master, DCI has some other great stuff too. I hope you get it Ny.

 

[Cartigan Mrryl]

Don't listen to them. Dragon Compendium Vol 1 has the true necromancer, Death Master. Great class IMHO. (Yes I'm using that word before I say it. )

Also there are tons of great necromancy spells and it's not no more a sub-par school than Divination is. (Yeah I REALLY want to know what you think... )

ummm.. Heroes of Horror has the Dread Necromancer... BEST--SPELLCASTER--EVAR (Yes, i said "evar") He gets a touch attack that progresses as he gains levels, at 12th level he gets a "reverse Lay On Hands" that deals negative levels, decided AFTER you touch(although you can only deal 1/2 your HD in Neg levels per day.. until 17th level, when he reaches your total HD). Also: There IS NO SAVE, the save is for 24 hours later, where he either makes the save, or losses the negative levels AAAND a real level. Also: They cast ANY necromancy spell (at first from his spell list and then 2 new ones every 4(?) levels) as if he were a Sorceror. He gets Damage Reduction that stacks with a Lich's (which he becomes for free, no LA, at 20th level) sooo... yeah, an extremely potent Necromancer... He can match a melee thanks to his touch attack (which he gets an upgrade to: Permanent Paralysis thanks to his Lichdom) and, at 23rd level, he can literally "Touch something and it dies".... so eyah, there's my review of THAT class. Freaking amazing. Want any more info? PM me, or ask here if I can find this thread again.

Edit: Also, most Necromancy PrC are based around summoning undead and whatnot, not really combat-involved stuff, so i wouldn't suggest them with the Dread Necromancer unless you discover something better..

 

[Question]

The DN does very poor damagae though, most of its abilities either involve touch attacks(Too close for d6 and light armor) or summoning undead(feat intensive, appropriate CRed encounters will insta kill your undead horde anyway, and you cant have one when walking through a city or whatever), and for some reason the summon undead spells only go up to level 5(ive seen versions that go up to level 9 though, not sure where.......maybe spell compendium)

 

[Nightfall]

*still think in a head on comparsion, Dread Necromancer loses to Death Master* But then I'll admit to being biased.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Here is a link that will give you info on anything you ever want to know about building a Necromancer character

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=599129

 

[Nightfall]

Good find Rig. Thanks.

 

[Cartigan Mrryl]

But the Dread Necromancer gets Damage Reduction, and the DR stacks with the Lich's.

Plus, get a Necrotic Focus(Special weapon ability in the Libris Mortis) weapon and then you make a touch attack every time you hit. I mean, when you reach level 17, you can make a touch attack that bestows up to your HD in neg. levels... so at level 20 you can bestow 20 negative levels, and as for the HD, when you hit lvl 20 you become a Lich for free (no LA, no costs whatsoever) and your HD turns into D12s anyways....


But to each their own. I'll admit, I'm bias too. (I haven't even SEEN the Death Master, so I can't say anything against it....)

Edit: I just read the link and... (Don't mean to rub it in buuuut...) Dread Necromancer IS the best Necromancy class... Just do as that thing says and your good. **I suggest you find a copy of the Libris Mortis... as it has the Tomb-Tainted soul feat as well as other bitchin' ones for a Necromancer to have (Profane Lifeleech being... okay for large groups, a waste for small ones)

Edit#2: Was I the only person who found the "Hand them Unholy Arrows" bit funny?

 

[Nightfall]

Okay here's the deal with Death Master:

d8 HD. You do become a lich at 20th level but it's not "spread out" like it is with Dread Necromancer. (But it also works on non-humaniods.) Plus you can wear meduim armor and STILL be able to cast spells. (You cast spells as a wizard but you can ignore spell failure by dosing yourself in blood. 1 medium sized humaniod to be precise). You get limited amount of spells but you can get a wider variety in my mind than Dread Necromancer. You also can rebuke undead, and you can suck the life out of them to power yourself or empower other undead. Plus the undead cohort is a nice aspect.

I believe that covers it.

 

[Cartigan Mrryl]

Pretty sweet deal. I think that a merging of the two classes would be amazing. (What book is the Death Master in again? Or did you already post it?) I'd like to see how a Gestalt between the two would deal. But yeah, I mainly like the Dread Necromancer for his Negative Level Touch attack. I mean, come on! Who wouldn't like the ability to touch and KILL something.

Get a Necrotic Focus Rapier, Improved Critical (Then you have a 15-20 range) and every time you hit the guy/score a critical, throw negative levels into him! How could that be bad? But the Death Master IS pretty cool, I mean, he has an improved version of the Dread Master's Armored Casting thing... because the Dread Necromancer can wear Light armor with no arcane failure.

Uuuum... but I don't know about the spell selection, I'd have to get them next to eachother to see for sure.

Either way, yeah... they both look cool in their own respect.