Necromancer

[Tensaiga]

Sometimes an individual is born with a curse, at least as seen from the viewpoint of most mortal races in the world. These individuals are born sickly, with pale skin and almost no muscle or fat. They grow, but they grow sporatically and awkwardly, never developing fully or developing in the right ways. It isn't rare that these individuals are killed by predjudiced individuals or even normal citizens once these individual's powers fully manifest themselves. You see, these are dark people with an innate connection to the negative energy plane. They are living creatures and yet they share alot in common with undead beings. A few commit suicide, unable to deal with thier heritage. Some fully realize thier potential and grasp it, overwhelmed with the opportunity to be a master over life and death. There are even a few that are raised from the grave as intelligent undead, thier connection closer than ever with thier breathern. Regardless, they all share the love of death, and the fascination with undeath.

Necromancer
Alignment: Any nongood.
Hit Die: d4.
Class Skills
The necromancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

BAB - Weak
Fort - Weak
Ref - Weak
Will - Strong

Spells per day/Spells known - As the sorceror but 1 less spell per day of each level. Spells known are the same.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Necromancers are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type besides skin* interferes with a necromancer’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells - Cast as a sorc. Primary stat is charisma. His spell list is essentially any arcane or divine spell that is in the school of necromancy or has the Death or Evil descriptor. Can reknow spells 4th level and beyond as per the sorc.

Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a necromancer's aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his class level. Even neutral necromancers have an aura of evil, although neutral necromancers have an aura of evil equal to thier class level / 2.

1 - Undead Companion
2 - Lichloved(If living) Pale Immitation(If undead)
3 - Rebuke Undead
4 - Command Undead 1/day
5 -
6 - Vile Blood
7 -
8 - Command Undead 2/day
9 -
10 - Negative Energy Affinity(If living) Negative Energy Shield(If undead)
11 -
12 - Command Undead 3/day
13 -
14 - Unholy Revival(If living) Unholy Life(If undead)
15 -
16 - Command Undead Unlimited/day, Control Undead 1/day
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 - Control Undead 2/day

Undead Companion (Ex): A necromancer begins play with an undead companion that is either a human skeleton, elven skeleton, dwarven skeleton, human zombie, elven zombie, or dwarven zombie. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: manta ray, porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This undead is a loyal servant that accompanies the necromancer on his adventures as appropriate for its kind.

A 1st-level necromancer's companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a necromancer advances in level, the undead’s power increases as shown on the table. If a necromancer releases his companion from service, he may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours. This ceremony can also replace an undead companion that has been destroyed.

A necromancer of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of undead. Should he select an undead companion from one of these alternative lists, the companion gains abilities as if the character’s necromancer level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s necromancer level and compare the result with the necromancer level entry on the table to determine the undead companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the necromancer's effective level to 0 or lower, he can’t have that animal as a companion.)

Lichloved: Mindless undead see the necromancer as an undead creature. Becoming more and more like an actual undead creature, he gains a +1 circumstance bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease.

Pale Immitation: The necromancer can appear like a living creature to any mindless undead if he wishes and may make an opposed bluff check to convince intelligent undead that he is living with a +5 bonus.

Rebuke Undead (Su): The necromancer has an ineffable aura of power over undeath, a boon coming from his innate connection the plane of negative energy. The necromancer gains the supernatural ability to command and rebuke undead. He commands undead as would a cleric of two levels lower.

Command/Control Undead (Sp): When a necromancer reaches 3rd level, he can create bend the actions of undead creatures to his whims. This ability’s effect is identical to that of the arcane spell command undead and may be employed once per day at 4th level, with 1 more time per day at levels 8 and 12. At level 16 the necromancer's will power completely overwhelms undead and this power turns into control undead once per day, as well as letting the Necromancer command undead an unlimited amount of times per day. At level 20 he may control undead twice per day.

Vile Blood (Ex): Necromancers have an innate connection the negative energy plane. Because of this, they have no need to worry about material components - they are, in essence, their own material components. Spells with costly material components require a little extra personal power on the necromancer’s part. He still does not need to obtain the material component, but he must instead pay a price in experience points for casting the spell. The necromancer pays 1/25th of the gold-piece cost of the component in XP (minimum loss of 1 XP). Thus, if a sorcerer casts symbol of pain, which requires 1000 gp worth of powdered diamond and opal, the sorcerer instead pays 40 XP (1000 divided by 25 is 10). Spells that already require an expenditure of experience points are handled normally.

Negative Energy Affinity (Su): The necromancer's connection to plane of negative energy strengthens. Positive energy effects start to lose thier power over the necromancer and the necromancer no longer heals any HP from spells that channel positive energy. In addition, beneficial spells that channel positive energy no longer effect the necromancer. On the other hand, negative energy becomes more potent to the necromancer. Much as it does to an undead, it fuels the necromancer. Any spell that uses negative energy instead heals the necromancer 1d4 x the spell level of the spell being cast. The necromancer may instead decline this healing and replinish 1 spell per day of any slot the same level or lower than the spell being cast. The effects of any revival spell still work, thanks to thier vast power, but are weakened yet. A Necromancer revived by Revival, Ressurection, True Ressurection, Miracle, or Wish lose 2 levels instead of 1.

Negative Energy Shield (Sp): Necromancers that are already undead absorb negative energy and instead attune to the negative energy plane in another fashion. An intangible and invisible field of negative energy surrounds the necromancer, enveloping him its embrace. This shield has no tangible size and effects no one but the necromancer, although others can feel a slight buzzing if they touch him. This shield effectively cancels out some of any positive energy used against him, granting him Positive Energy Resistance 15. This shield also grants +4 turn resistance. Unfortunately, a succesful turning attempt dispels this shield for 1d10 minutes, the holy energies overwhleming it.

Unholy Revival (Su): Necromancers at this stage are incredibly attuned to the negative energy plane. The energy persists in thier body even after thier death. In 1d4 days, a slain Necromancer comes back to life as an effigy of the the power he used in his life. This turns the necromancer into an undead of any kind with HD equal to or less than the necromancer's HD-1. Any HD that is not taken by the Undead's HD are retaken as Necromancer levels, up untill the necromancer's previous HD-1. This effect only works once per creature, not even if a wish or miracle restores the undead necromancer to life can he be reraised as an undead. The necromancer keeps his mental stats that are better but inherates the physical stats that are better of the undead he chose. For example, an 18th level human Necromancer could ressurect as a 17th level skeleton necromancer, a 9th level necromancer with the vampire template, a 3rd level Mohrg necromancer, or anything else he can combine. He can come back as a normaly mindless undead if he so chooses, as he can keep his mental stats if higher. If applicable, the living feats he took as a necromancer are replaced by the undead equivilents. A necromancer that was revived this way may never have Unholy Life

Unholy Life (Su): Undead Necromancers are not permanently destroyed when they other undead are. Instead, their soul is held in statsis while a new body is formed. In 1d4 days, they awaken in the location they died, fully healed and 1 level lower. Once they reform, however, they permanently lose Unholy Life.

Ex-Necromancers - A necromancer who becomes good cannot gain new levels as a necromancer but retains all necromancer abilities and spells.

Like a member of any other class, a necromancer may be a multiclass character, but multiclass necromancers face a special restriction. A necromancer who gains a new class or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise his necromancer level, though he retains all his necromancer abilities and spells.

The point of this
Well, I wanted a class that that was a base, 20 level progression class and yet wasn't a cleric or necromancy specialized mage. Things like True Necromancer are frustrating because they require a level 12 character to even access(If I am not mistaken). I chose to go with spontaneous casting because there is no need for a booksmart person who can raise the dead. I wanted someone whose very force of will forced undead to his bidding.

At this point, the class seems a tad powerful but I believe some balancing factors are the VERY limited spell selection as well as the lower spells per day than a sorc. He gains some nice abilities as well as a druidesque companion to compensate for some of the weakness of really having no offense. Necromancy spells tend to kill or weaken, not directly damage. The skin comment in the armor selection was a "meh" decision, if I wanted to make up some human-skin armors or anything.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Tensaiga]

Not even constructive criticism? =\

 

[Nyaricus]

I am a bit limited for time, but i gotta say > it looks cool. i'll have to check balance and all later. for now, a few quick comments.

True Necromancer is availiable at level 7 > you need a minimun of 3 levels cleric and 3 levels wizard (Necromancer would be preferrable i suppose, but IIRC it isnt necessary). In my new campaign, my best buddy is playing a halfling Necromancer that is going to become a True Necromancer.

I should also note that True Necromancer does infact give you a 20 level build. Odd as it may sound, it is a 14 level PrC with 6 levels of prereqs = 20 levels. It is an interesting Build, to be sure.

Furthermore, WotC just made a Necromancer class for its Heros of Horror Book. I read this on their site. Don't want to discourage you or put down your class in any way, but you could mine it for additional ideas.

Anyways, i like you Necromancer class, it looks pretty sweet; balance issues (if any) will come in another post though. ttyl.

 

[Thia Halmades]

Hey Nyaricus. We gotta stop meeting like this. Tensaiga, this looks fine; I don't know that I'd give "One shot resurrection" that seems a bit... eh... "gamey?" to me? I don't know how to put. Lacks the appropriate flavor? You might want to do an adaptation of the Monk's Diamond Body, or the Druid's Timeless Body and grant a sort of limited Phylactery, so long as the Phylactery exists, the character can be ressed/raised/reincarnated at no penalty. This consumes the phylactery, but the PC can burn X amount of XP and gold (the Phylactery must be of at least X,000 gold in value and cost 1/25th XP) and create another one. This would allow the res you're looking for without being a one shot or feel contrived.

You also clearly have leafed through BoVD, which is an excellent reference. Overall decent flavor, but if I were to say anything else, it's that your spell casting components aren't properly balanced against your specials. I would suggest really sitting down with a stack of splat books and very carefully building a spell list for this class that is not simply a set of Sor/Wiz spells. If you really want to add flavor and flair, punch it up. Think outside the box. Necromancy can affect so many things in so many ways. Blight spells, nature burning spells, flesh eating specials, as well as your basic raise/control dead army builder. To use a RAW example, Fighters are all fighters, but they're a versatile class because each one is going to be built differently. Give your class some flex and some room to roll its shoulders in that robe.

LCpt. Thia Halmades

 

[Tensaiga]

I absolutely love the phylactery idea. Honestly, that 1-shot raise was contrived on the spot, I wanted something to fill a blank slot . But the phylactery works =P

As for the spell list...its going to be hard, I have such limited books to draw from. I have the three base books and BoVD, plus Libris Mortis can be borrowed from a friend. Still, I would want Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, access to the blighter, things like that. It might be hard for me personally to get his spell list.

 

[Tensaiga]

Can someone offer som advice to tuning it up more? After looking at it, which its poor selection of spells it just seems kind of underpowered...

 

[Thia Halmades]

One of the things that Li Shenron said on a separate thread is that the nature of the spell doesn't matter half as much as the list; you've got a class here that clearly splits the whole Arcane/Divine boundary; that's one thing you can exploit to your advantage. First thing you might want to do is ask some key questions:

1) What is Necromancy for THIS campaign setting? Is it simply the obvious (control over the undead/becoming undead) or is it deeper than that? Is it necessarily an abomination? Can a good person be a Necromancer (similar to a Forensic Investigator - they deal with the dead all the time, but they aren't evil). A lot of folks would read that freak, i.e., "Necros are evil by design." But I think outside the box as often as possible.

2) You can give this class a limited Turn/Rebuke and work it as a choice; Good Necros are agents of Death in its Neutral aspect; they want to put down the undead, stop evil necromancers, etc. They use their control to turn other people's minions against them, they specialize in Necro Counter magic, etc. "Animate Dead!" "Counter that." "Pardon, what now?"

3) Open the flood gates on spell selection; you can swing this pendulum either heavily towards specials, or give them more casting flexibility. I would suggest striking a balance. There are some great PrCs in the BoVD that give specials & spell selection, so you can look towards those as inspiration.

4) If you're tight on cash, your library might have some of those books in stock. The other thing you can do is pack your bookbag, head down to Barnes & Noble or Borders, grab some coffee and start pulling books off the shelf and checking through the spells, making notes on ones you really like and want to add. Nyaricus pointed out that a True Necro (book...?) is available at 7, but I'm not sure what book he's referencing (unless it's the BoVD, which is the only one I can think of).

5) Necros also study anatomy. The weakened Sneak Attack vs. Undead might do well; this would give them a definate weapon against a group which is otherwise immune to such things. Keep their HP low and two saves craptastic to balance that out, but it would help when doing things like Staking a Vampire.

LCpt. Thia Halmades