D&D 5E (2014) For the Convenience of Necromancers

[Bill Zebub]

If the OP was intending to publish these spells, you may have a point. But if this is just for them and their own game, the more important aspects for critique migt be how the spell functions and could I pact the game, rather than little details that don't impact the actual mechanics.

Sure.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Oh, right. You don't like 5e anyway. I forgot.

I dont like WotC 5e. The rule set is pretty sound.

 

[cbwjm]

Just having another look at arise from the grave, it might be worth adding in the text from animate dead regarding how you control them.

 

[Ancalagon]

If you upcast animate dead to level 5, you would get 5 skeletons too no? So... is the difference that the corpse dig themselves up?

 

[Seramus]

If you upcast animate dead to level 5, you would get 5 skeletons too no? So... is the difference that the corpse dig themselves up?

Seems the big difference is not needing line of sight. You can ritual cast it and potentially get corpses even if you can't see them, and don't know they are there.

Like 10 minutes of fishing.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

Thanks for the feedback! I've updated the "at higher levels" text to reflect your comments!

 

[Faolyn]

Um. I hate to say it, but arise from the dead is almost exactly like danse macabre from Xanathar's, except that with your version, you don't need to target visible corpses. Was this intentional?

 

[Lanefan]

So I like what you're doing here. I think this spell is great for NPC and enemy necromancers. But for a PC, this is potentially too powerful. Since it's a ritual, there's essentially no limit to how often it can be cast, allowing for a PC to create dozens of minions with no investment aside from the time it takes to cast the ritual.

To get around this, a simple limit that the spell cannot be successfully cast again while any skeletons from any previous casting remain animated solves the problem. Or, if that's too harsh, a limit that says that your maximum number of skeletons (i.e. the number you'd get if you cast this once using your highest level slot) is the most you can have going at any one time no matter how many times you cast the spell.

I do have a few recommendations for this spell. The first is to remove the ritual tag. Rituals are balanced to be spells that are more about exploration or quality of life improvements. Detection spells, tiny hut, unseen servant, etc. I would say a hard limit for a ritual spell is anything that could increase a PC's effectiveness in combat. So if this spell created a bunch of zombie minions with 1 hp and unable to attack or help in combat, it might make more sense.

I don't mind the ritual idea. If it bugs you, then sure - remove the ritual tag. But still keep the casting time at ten minutes - this isn't something you cast once combat begins, it's something you cast ahead of time. Or, see below regarding digging time.

Another area that might be worth exploring is allowing this version to animate tiny, large, or huge zombies/skeletons.

From experience in other editions, let's just say that can open up some cans of worms best left closed.

I agree with @cbwjm in that there very much needs to be some mention of what you can do with these skeletons once animated, and how, and for how long. You might also want to add a mention of how long it will take the newly-formed undead to get to the surface; and if it takes them ten minutes or more to dig themselves out then the spell's casting time can be reduced to just a round (though a ten minute casting time makes the spell more vulnerable to interruption, which I like).

Conclusion: the write-up for a spell like this can't be just a few lines. Wall of text might better describe it, if done right.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

Um. I hate to say it, but arise from the dead is almost exactly like danse macabre from Xanathar's, except that with your version, you don't need to target visible corpses. Was this intentional?

I'll have to check that out!

 

[Charlaquin]

Um. I hate to say it, but arise from the dead is almost exactly like danse macabre from Xanathar's, except that with your version, you don't need to target visible corpses. Was this intentional?

There’s also the fact that rise from the grave takes 10 minutes and presumably animates the corpses for as long as animate dead would, whereas danse macabre takes 1 action and animates them for concentration up to 1 hour. That’s a pretty significant difference.