Necromancer class

Necromancers are those who study the macabre mysteries of death and undeath—practitioners of arts considered vile and unholy. They are most known to raise the dead, inflict disease on others, and commune with spirits.

Progression

• Level 1 (1 XP): 1d6 HP, 15 Saving Throw

  • Memorized spells: 1 x 1st-level

• Level 2 (2,500 XP): 2d6 HP, 14 Saving Throw

  • Memorized spells: 2 x 1st-level

• Level 3 (5,000 XP): 3d6 HP, 13 Saving Throw

  • Memorized spells: 2 x 1st-level, 1 x 2nd-level

Starting equipment

You can either roll 3d6 x 10 silver besants and purchase gear from the house rules page or quickly roll up randomized starting gear from below.

Basic equipment: All characters have a backpack, a tinder box, 1d6 torches, a waterskin, 1d6 hardy rations, and 3d6 sb.

Armour: You begin with fancy, embroidered robes (AC 9).

Weapons: Roll 1d4 to determine your starting weapon.

1. Club
2. Dagger
3. Sling + 20 stones
4. Staff

Adventuring gear: Roll 1d12 twice to determine your extra adventuring gear.

1. Crowbar
2. Hammer (small) + 12 iron spikes
3. Holy water
4. Lantern + 3 flasks of oil
5. Mirror (hand-sized, steel)
6. Pole (10’ long, wooden)
7. Rope (50’)
8. Rope (50’) + grappling hook
9. Sack (large)
10. Sack (small)
11. Stakes (3) + mallet
12. Wolfsbane (1 bunch)

Magical research

A necromancer of any level may spend time and money on magical research. This allows them to add new spells to their spell book and to research other magical effects. The process takes 1 week and costs 2,000gp in materials and equipment per spell level. When a necromancer reaches 9th level, they are also able to create magic items.

Death magic

Necromancer spells are written down in great tomes known as magic books, each book containing spells of one level. While a necromancer starts with both 1st- and 2nd-level books, they are not necessarily able to learn and transcribe all spells of that level into their book. This is determined by the necromancer’s Intelligence score, as detailed in the table below. A necromancer only gets one chance to figure out each spell; if it is not learned then, it will never be.

Starting spell books

Book of 1st-level necromancer spells

1. Chill Touch
2. Command Dead
3. Corpse Visage
4. Deathlight
5. Decay / Ward Against Decay
6. Detect Undead
7. Marionette
8. Pass Undead
9. Protection From Evil
10. Skull Speech
11. Undead Servitor

Book of 2nd-level necromancer spells

1. Bone Armour
2. Choke
3. Death Recall
4. Detect Magic
5. Feign Death
6. Paralysing Touch
7. Seal Tomb / Open Tomb
8. Silence
9. Skeletal Steed
10. Skull Sight
11. Speak With Dead
12. Spectral Hand

Magic scrolls

Magic books are far too large and cumbersome to be carried on adventures and must be kept in a safe place. However, all necromancers are able to transcribe the essentials of a spell onto a magic scroll. Creating a magic scroll takes 1 week of work per spell level, and costs 100gp in materials per spell level. Thus, a 2nd level spell would cost 200gp and take 2 weeks to transcribe onto a scroll. Magic scrolls are read aloud, casting the spell but erasing the magic words from the scroll in the process.

Necromancers can replenish their memorized spells by studying a scroll containing that same spell. In this way, a necromancer can keep their spell books safe at home and still replenish their memorized spells while out adventuring.