D&D 5E Half Orc Necromancer Help

[TenkayCrit]

My group is getting ready to start a new campaign and I wanna do something different. I normally try to make my characters as efficient as possible, this time I want to do something unique and just a bit silly. That being said, I still want to be pretty awesome in combat and not gimp the rest of the party

Here's the idea: Drobak, the Half-Orc Master of Undeath. I'll go wizard with the necromancy focus. I'm hoping to have my undead minions do most of my fighting and taking the hits while I hurl out nnecromantic spells from relative safty. I've toyed with multiclassing into cleric for armor, and some heals, but I don't really know if it's worth losing the 20th level wizard feature.

So I was hoping for some tips on making this charactee work from you guys. I'm open to any suggestions: feats, stat priorities, multiclass possibilities, spells, or anything and everything.

Thanks!

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

My group is getting ready to start a new campaign and I wanna do something different. I normally try to make my characters as efficient as possible, this time I want to do something unique and just a bit silly. That being said, I still want to be pretty awesome in combat and not gimp the rest of the party

Here's the idea: Drobak, the Half-Orc Master of Undeath. I'll go wizard with the necromancy focus. I'm hoping to have my undead minions do most of my fighting and taking the hits while I hurl out nnecromantic spells from relative safty. I've toyed with multiclassing into cleric for armor, and some heals, but I don't really know if it's worth losing the 20th level wizard feature.

So I was hoping for some tips on making this charactee work from you guys. I'm open to any suggestions: feats, stat priorities, multiclass possibilities, spells, or anything and everything.

Thanks!

Stinking Cloud is a great spell for necromancers. Get some of your zombies to grapple an enemy and hold it within a stinking cloud. Could also get a skeleton to toss a net on it, especially if the DM rules the skeleton is proficient, since Stinking Cloud creates heavy obscurement that will cancel disadvantage to-hit from range.

Consider up-armoring your skeletons and zombies with chain mail, and giving them longbows or heavy crossbows instead of shortbows.

You can't go wrong with a necromancer. Everything they do is overpowered. By which I mean, you won't regret multiclassing to cleric, but you also won't regret losing the 20th level feature, or taking your first level in fighter. In fact, you could probably play a Str 12 Int 10 Necromancer 6/Champion Fighter 14 (or other random class) and STILL have a blast even at high level. I keep wanting to play a Hunter 11/Rogue 2/Necromancer 7 in a solo game and abuse Animate Dead, Conjure Animals, and Cunning Action (Hide). You really can't go wrong with a Necromancer.

 

[Kobold Stew]

First off, Welcome to the Boards.

A lot depends on what level you are starting at. But let's assume that it's (say) 12 or lower. In that case, I'd not worry at all about the level 20 feature. Your goal is to get there and have fun/wreak havoc along the way.

1. With a half-orc, if you want to keep multi classing open, you'll need an int of 14, which is workable, but will be a bit weak on spells that need an attack roll (or a save DC). That's okay -- you'll have zombies.

2. For multi classing, rather than MC into Cleric, I would suggest Fighter 1. You lose the spell casting level, but you gain quite a bit:
- easier to MC into, since you'll have a bonus to your strength out of the gate.
- If your level 1 is fighter, you'll have proficiency on concentration spells, which a Cleric can't give you.
- second wind synchs well with relentless endurance.
- it will also give you a higher weapon damage die for savage attacks (if you opt to keep a weapon in your hand)
- defensive style gives you an AC boost, but there are other, better options: beg, bribe, or mortgage your house to get your DM to let you take Close Quarters Shooter, from the Underdark Unearthed Arcana. All of a sudden your attack cantrips come back online, and you can use them in melee range.

3. With a build like this, you don't really need to boost your Intelligence after this -- it helps, sure, but taking magic initiate will let you add a few necromancy spells from the Cleric list: I'd suggest Spare the Dying (for theme), Guidance (always a useful spell), Inflict wounds (also necromancy, plus an attack option 1/day).

Hope this helps.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

- defensive style gives you an AC boost, but there are other, better options: beg, bribe, or mortgage your house to get your DM to let you take Close Quarters Shooter, from the Underdark Unearthed Arcana. All of a sudden your attack cantrips come back online, and you can use them in melee range.

1.) Attack cantrips are already online in melee range. Chill Touch is a melee attack and suffers no disadvantage at close range.
2.) You're not boosting Int, so your cantrips (except for SCAG cantrips like Greenflame Blade) are already weak.
3.) You're a necromancer. Boosting cantrip damage is superfluous when you already do more damage than the whole party put together.

It's up to you what fighting style to take but when I make a Fighter 1/Necromancer X, I take Defense style. AC 21 plus disadvantage (either from Blur, or because I'm Dodging while I use my bonus action to make my skeletons do all the damage output) plus Shield = almost invulnerable. It works just fine too without Defense, but Defense makes it that little bit more efficient. E.g. against Displacer Beasts with +6 to hit, Defense means you only need to Shield against 9% of attacks instead of 12%.

 

[Kobold Stew]

1.) Attack cantrips are already online in melee range. Chill Touch is a melee attack and suffers no disadvantage at close range.

Is this true? PHB description says it's a "ranged spell attack". Could you please cite your source that shows what I'm missing?

It's up to you what fighting style to take but when I make a Fighter 1/Necromancer X, I take Defense style.

Yup -- that's a good choice, which is why I listed it. I just like the fact that Close Quarters Shooter -- unlike any other fighting style* -- directly benefits attack cantrips.


* exception: magic stone, when shot from a sling, could benefit from the Archery fighting style.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Is this true? PHB description says it's a "ranged spell attack". Could you please cite your source that shows what I'm missing?

Source: faulty reading skills. Here I've been thinking for the past six months that it was an unusual case of "melee spell attack with 120' range." Thanks for correcting that.

Greenflame/Booming Blade are still usable in melee though, as is Acid Splash.

 

[Kave2015]

How about level 3 fighter EK or bard 3 as multi class combo

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Pick up Vampiric touch as quickly as possible. With your built in Con bonus and additional damage on crits, the attack roll spell will both heal you (a lot, the spell heals you and your necromancy feature heals you) and deal some major damage.

Build up a crowd of zombies as soon as possible. You can't take them everywhere but the action economy advantage is well worth it.

If you can, grab Warcaster. Consider multiclassing into Sorcerer for the Dragon Bloodline Armor boost and the extended spell duration metamagic to keep your undead horde firmly in control.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I'll second Vampiric Touch, I had a necromancer in one of my games, he had awesome stats (lucky rolls) and Vampiric Touch combined with Grim Harvest made for a really nasty melee wizard.