Level Up (A5E) Help me make a necromancer archetype

[Morrus]

This will be released for free on the Level Up website this week. I've started work here, but it's very much a WIP and certainly not yet well balanced. Any and all feedback is welcome.

Necromancer (Wizard)

Necromancer (Wizard) Necromancers are reviled and feared wherever they go. Students of death and masters of the undead, necromancers are able to create skeletal and zombie minions. Touch of Death When you choose this archetype at level 2, you learn how to use the very life force of your victims....

docs.google.com

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I like it, but I feel almost like the 2nd level touch of death and create minion should be an either/or options.

Make it so you can build the Necro as a minion master OR someone who revels more in touch spells. Maybe make a second 6th level ability that boosts the ability for the necro to handle close spells. Maybe a spirit ward ability where the caster uses the spirits of slain creatures they've bound too themselves as a type of protective ward against damage.

 

[Morrus]

I like it, but I feel almost like the 2nd level touch of death and create minion should be an either/or options.

Make it so you can build the Necro as a minion master OR someone who revels more in touch spells. Maybe make a second 6th level ability that boosts the ability for the necro to handle close spells. Maybe a spirit ward ability where the caster uses the spirits of slain creatures they've bound too themselves as a type of protective ward against damage.

I feel like that’s an archetype choice within an archetype choice. I know it’s advanced 5E, but that might be a step too far!

 

[aco175]

At 2nd level you can speak with dead like the 3rd level spell once per day. Can that be boosted at some point to number of times per proficiency bonus or 1/rest. Maybe be able to force answers or see through the corpses eyes to get a vision of something.

Touch of death attacks deal necrotic damage and you get some temp HP, but how/when are you going to punch someone instead of using a dagger. What about creating claws that deal the 1d4 damage to make it useful. It can be an at-will power or some sort of permanent which curse or such. Maybe improve it to ghoul touch at some point.

I like the idea of having minions. To balance it more give up spell slots to keep extra minions around, or base the total number of HD worth of minions off your caster level or such.

 

[lichmaster]

I like what's here so far, and although I agree with WarDriveWorley that having some branching options would be cool, I see your point too of those being too many choices.
As a suggestion, I think it could be cool to have some more necromancy spells that specifically bolster the theme of being an actual necromancer. For example, a spell that you cast on a minion, who then runs in the middle of enemies and goes "BOOM" (sacrificing the minion), or a rare version of wall of fire spell that makes cold/necrotic damage and is made of a ghoulish green flame with lots of grasping hands (anyone passing through can be grappled). These kind of things maybe.

 

[lichmaster]

Touch of death attacks deal necrotic damage and you get some temp HP, but how/when are you going to punch someone instead of using a dagger. What about creating claws that deal the 1d4 damage to make it useful. It can be an at-will power or some sort of permanent which curse or such. Maybe improve it to ghoul touch at some point.

I think this feature becomes particularly interesting when you consider multiclassing, especially in adept

 

[Morrus]

Touch of death attacks deal necrotic damage and you get some temp HP, but how/when are you going to punch someone instead of using a dagger.

When you want some temp HP, presumably!

 

[Morrus]

I like what's here so far, and although I agree with WarDriveWorley that having some branching options would be cool, I see your point too of those being too many choices.
As a suggestion, I think it could be cool to have some more necromancy spells that specifically bolster the theme of being an actual necromancer. For example, a spell that you cast on a minion, who then runs in the middle of enemies and goes "BOOM" (sacrificing the minion), or a rare version of wall of fire spell that makes cold/necrotic damage and is made of a ghoulish green flame with lots of grasping hands (anyone passing through can be grappled). These kind of things maybe.

I feel like a bunch of new necro spells is a different project for another time.

 

[Faolyn]

I might put a gold cost to create minion, since there's one for summoning a familiar. And I would switch Necrotic Mastery to 6th level and Army of Darkness to 10th.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I feel like that’s an archetype choice within an archetype choice. I know it’s advanced 5E, but that might be a step too far!

I certainly understand that view, but given that Warlocks have archetypes where there are sub-options that they can choose from it's not that big of a design flex and would reward different styles of play more than just corralling the player into one playstyle