Necromancer

While others use magic to do paltry things like conjure fire or fly, the Necromancer is a master
over death itself. They study the deep and forbidden secrets that raise the dead, controlling
minions toward a variety of goals. Perhaps they seek the power that mastery over death provides.
Perhaps they are serious and unashamed scholars, who reject the small-minded boundaries held to
by others. Each enemy they fell becomes an eager and disposable ally. All necromancers strive to
harness the immortality and power of undeath for themselves.
Terrorising the villager in the night, a wicked drow enchantress invades the homes and dreams
of the cattle people living in her domain. Only once their terror and paranoia are complete will she
move in for the kill.
A shadowy, robed figure strides among the human soldiers arrayed before him, cutting them
down in swathes with his vast, soul-tearing scythe.
Small and unassuming, an old gnome man is accosted in the alleys of Waterdeep by a gang of
cutthroats. Tapping into the power of the grave he freezes their hearts in their chest, before
collecting their departing souls and implanting them into a horrible monstrosity of dead limbs.
Necromancers plague the land in many forms, but regardless of how they do it, all
necromancers strive to snuff out the life around them and replace it with a swath of undeath,
bound in servitude to their cold masters.
Level Proficie Features Cantrips Spell LvL
ncy Known
1 2 Spellcasting, Raise Dead 3 1st
2 2 Command Undead 3 1st
3 2 Necromancer Cabal 3 2nd
4 2 Ability Score Improvement 4 2nd
5 3 3rd
6 3 Necromancer Cabal feature 4 3rd
7 3 4 4th
8 3 Ability Score Improvement 4 4th
9 4 Command Undead Improvement 4 5th
10 4 Necromancer Cabal feature 5 5th
11 4 5 6th
12 4 Ability Score Improvement 5 6th
13 5 5 7th
14 5 Necromancer Cabal feature 5 7th
15 5 5 8th
16 5 Ability Score Improvement 5 8th
17 6 5 9th
18 6 Command Undead Improvement 5 9th
19 6 Ability Score Improvement 5 9th
20 6 Undying Ascencion 5 9th
 Quick Build
You can make a necromancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution
should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence and Dexterity. If you intend to play
the Cabal of Reaping choose between Dexterity and Strength for your second highest score,
followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the sage background.

Class Features
As a necromancer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d12 per necromancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + CON modifier per necromancer level after 1st

Proficincies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools:None

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your
background:

(a) a quarterstaff or (b) a scythe or (c) a dagger

(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus or (c) a holy symbol
(a) a scholars pack or (b) a priests pack or (c) an explorers pack
A research book

Spellcasting
As a student of necromancy you have studied the arts of death and undeath. Whether you draw
your powers from arcane study, religious belief or a pact with a powerful spirit the results are the
same.

Cantrips
At 1st level, you know 3 cantrips of your choice from the necromancer spell list. You learn
additional cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known collumn of the
necromancer table.

Spellcasting Ability
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your necromancer spells, so you use your
Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your
Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a necromancer spell you cast and
when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
 Preparing and Casting Spells
To cast a necromancer spell you must spend a number of hit points equal to the cost of the spell
level cast, as shown in the Spell Health Cost table. If casting a spell would cause you to fall to 0hp
or below you can do so but will suffer 1 point of exhaustion per spell level.

You can cast spells up to the maximum level shown in the Spell Level column of the
necromancer table.

You know a number of spells equal to your intelligence modifier + your necromancer level
(minimum of 1). The spells must be of a level of which you can cast. Additionaly, when you gain
a level in this class, you can choose one of the necromancer spells you know and replace it with
another spell from the necromancer spell list, which must also be a level which you can cast.

Spell Health Cost

Spell Level Health Cost
Cantrip 1
1st 2
2nd 4
3rd 6
4th 8
5th 10
6th 15
7th 21
8th 29
9th 38
Unholy Corruption
As a necromancer your spells pull with an unholy energy. Any spells you cast that would
normally cause radiant damage instead cause necrotic damage.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus or a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your necromancer
spells.
Raise Dead
Beggining at 1st level, you can pour necromantic energy into nearby corpses to create a false
mockery of life. As an action you can reanimate corpses within 60 feet of you. You can reanimate
a number of creatures up to your Intelligence score. The combined CR for all of the creatures
must be no more than one quarter of your necromancer level, the reanimated corpses can be no
larger than your one size larger than you. You can use this featue once per short or long rest.

A corpse must have been dead for at least one minute in order to allow time for the soul to
leave the vessell. Unless a corpse has been left long enough to be reduced to bones it will
reanimate as a zombie, otherwise it will animate as a skeleton. You can spend your downtime
cleaning a fresh corpse with a succsesfull DC 15 medicine check in order to raise it as a skeleton.
In this fashion you can also prepare more complicated creatures such as mummies or wights. Talk
to your DM about what would be required for each creature

The corpses you animate in this fashion have no sentience of their own and will attack the
nearest living creature unless guided by an outside force.
 Command Undead
At 2nd level you have learnt how to impose you will on nearby undead. As an action you can
magically command undead within 60 feet of you. In this way you can control a number of
creatures up to your Intelligence modifier to do your bidding. Each creature must have a CR of
or lower. You can use this feature once per long rest.

This control lasts for a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier. You can use your
concentration to attempt to extend this hold. For every extra round you must succeed on a
concentration saving throw equal to 10+(5 x number of rounds).

The controlled undead will act as you allies, you can issue specific commands to them using
your bonus action, otherwise they will attack the nearest enemy creature.

Beggining at 9th level you can control undead with a CR of up to half of your necromancer
level rounded down. In addition you can now use this feature twice per long rest.

At 18th level your command of the undead is so complete that the creatures you command will
follow your orders indefinately. In addition you have grown so used to commanding the dead that
you recover from its toll much faster, you now also regain one use of this feature per short rest.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase
one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1.
As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Undying Ascension
At 20th level your mastery of necromancy is so complete that you turn your arts upon yourself.
In order to defy death you transform yourself, using secret rituals, into an undead creature. You
may choose to adopt the guise of a powerful lich, master vampire or other dreaded being.
Regardless of your choice you gain the following changes:
your type becomes undead
you gain immunity to all poisons and diseases
you gain resistance to necrotic and cold damage
you no longer need to eat, sleep, drink water or carry out any of the other mundane tasks
neccassary for life

Necromancer Cabals
Often hiding in the very middle of high society necromancers organise themselves into deadly
cabals in order to aid each other in their nefarious goals. While members of these cabals often
share similar ambitions and powers, every member gaurds their own secrets jelously and as such
there is much mistrust amoung these close knit groups. Many necromancers isolate themselves
from their kin in order to pursue their own ends.
 Cabal of Haunting
Haunting Expanded Spell List
Spell Level Spells
1st Command, Dissonant Whispers
2nd Enthral, Warding Bond
3rd Fear, Spirit Gaurdians
4th Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Phantasmal Killer
5th Dream, Modify Memory

When you choose this cabal at 3rd level you gain proficiency in light and medium Armour

Unseen Watcher
At 3rd leve, using ancient secrets you have uncovered in your research, you have concocted a
ritual to bind a spirit to your cause. The ritual takes 1 hour of uninterupted concentration and must
be performed away from any natural sunlight. The ritual requires 50gp worth of wax, ink, and
mummified body parts. Every time you perform this ritual your maximum HP is reduced by 1.
Once the ritual is complete you form a symbiotic relationship with a spectral entity.

This creature can travel no further than 120 feet from you or the symbiotic bond is broken and
it returns to the ethereal plane. It is undetectable to the ordinary gaze however all necromancers
can sense its presence. It is incorporeal and can move through solid objects and creatures. Using
your bond you can use your action to see and hear through its senses for one round.

Without your willpower keeping it in the physical plane the spectral servant must return to the
ethereal plane. Whenever you lose consciousness, such as being knocked out or falling asleep,
your spectral servant is banished until you regain consciousness.

Spectral Pact
At 6th level the bond with your spectral companion has grown stronger and you now feel
powerfull enough to bring it fully into this plane. You must spend 4 hours, 200gp worth of
materials and a living sacrifice to summon your spirits physical form. The final cost of the ritual is
a small portion of your soul used to bind the spirit to the material plane. Every time you perform
this ritual your maximum HP is reduced by 1. Once you complete the ritual you may roll a
percentile die and consult the Spirit Summoning Table to determine the results. You can use your
bonus action to command the spectre however on each of your turns.

If your spectral companion is reduced to 0 hp it dissipates back to the ethereal plane. You can
spend 10 minutes in concentration to perform a ritual to gather its escence back to the material
plane. It then returns at 1hp. Your spectral companion can only be returned to full health by
sacrificing a creature with CR equal to or greater than that of your spirit. If the spirit is reduced to
0 hp by radiant damage it is destroyed and you must perform both rituals again and roll once more
on the table. Spells such as banishment or destroy evil/good can also destroy your companion or
send it back to the ethereal plane.

In addition your companion can now travel up to 500 feet from you before the bond is broken.
 Spirit Summoning Table
Result Spirit Summoned at 6th level
1 to 15 Shadow
16 to 50 Spectre
51 to 99 Will-O-Wisp
100 Reroll and whatever apears is hostile

Superior Haunt
Once you reach 10th level you can undertake a final ritual to strenghten your spectral
companion. You must spend 8 hours, 500gp worth of materials and a living sacrifice to summon
your spirits true form. Every time you perform this ritual your maximum HP is reduced by 1. At
the end of the ritual a Shadow is transformed into a Wraith, a Spectre is transformed into a Ghost
and a Will-O-Wisp is transformed into a Banshee. Regardless of the form it still follows the rules
set out in the Spectral Pact but its game statistics and abilities are replaced with those of its new
form.

In addition, from 10th level and onwards, whenever you perform the ritual set out in Spectral
Pact you can add or subtract a number equal to 2 X the CR of the sacrificed creature.

Flesh Puppet
Your spectral companion has grown glut on the souls of the fallen. At 16th level it is now
powerful enough to posses the corpses of your enemies and wear them like armour. Working
together you can now take control of a single nearby corpse with a CR equal to half your
necromancer level (rounded down) + the CR of your spectral companion. This requires the use of
both your Raise Dead and Command Undead traits. Your spectral companion takes on the game
statistics of the creature. In addition it cannot use any of its own traits until you use an action to
end the possesion or the undead falls to 0 hit points. At which point your spectral companion
dissipates and must wait 10 minutes to regain its corporeal form. Your spectral companion can
maintain the possesion for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier.

Finally your companion can now maintain its link to you no matter where you are in regards to
each other on the material plane.

Cabal of Reaping
Reaping Expanded Spell List
Spell Level Spells
1st Armor of Agathys, Hex
2nd Misty Step, Spiritual Weapon
3rd Crusaders mantle, Phantom Steed
4th Banishment, Staggering Smite
5th Banishing Smite, Destructive Wave

When you choose this cabal at 3rd level you gain proficiency in light armour, medium armour
and martial weapons.

Life linked blade

 When you choose this cabal at 3rd level you also gain the ability to spend 1 hour and 100gp
worth of materials to perform a ritual and desecrate any non-sentient weapon with necromantic
energy. This weapon is now linked to your soul. When you land an attack with this weapon you
can imediately expend hit die to deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage per hit dice spent gain
temporary hit points equal to the same amount. You can spend up to half of your max hit die
(rounded down) on any one attack.

Extra Attack
From 6th level whenever you take the attack action on your turn you can make one aditional
attack as a part of that action.

Improved Life Link

From 10th whenever spend hit dice on a life linked strike you roll 1d12 when determining the
amount of extra damage and healing. You can also expend more than half your hit dice (up to your
max) on a single attack however doing so causes 1 point of exhaustion. As an small portion of
your soul is consumed in the strike.

Grim Harvest
At 14th level whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a life linked strike you
imediately regain one expended hit die as the creatures soul essence is consumed by your weapon.
The creature automatically fails all death saving throws and cannot be revived with revivify. It
takes more powerfull magic such as true ressurection or a wish spell to return the beings soul
essence to its original state.

Cabal of Undying
Undying Expanded Spell List
Spell Level Spells
1st Ice Knife, Mage Armour
2nd Darkness, Web
3rd Counterspell, Gaseous Form
4th Elemental Bane, Ice Storm
5th Antilife Shell, Cone of Cold

Redistribution of Life
When you select this cabal at 3rd leve whenever you deal necrotic damage with a spell or
cantrip you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your intelligence modifier. You can use
multiple spells to gain a number of hit points up to your level + intelligence modifier +
constitution modifier

Potent Spellcasting
At 6th level you can add your constitution modifier to the damage you deal with your
necromancer cantrips.

Soul Snatch
From 10th level whenever a living being within 120 feet of you dies you may immediately
make an attack with a necromancer cantrip at no cost as you subvert the soul of the dead being to
your will. If you use this feature the creature that provided the soul automatically fails all death
saving throws and cannot be revived with revivify. It takes more powerfull magic such as true
ressurection or a wish spell to return the beings soul essence to its original state.
 Compact Soul
By 14th level you have trained your soul to resist the pull of the grave that you feel when
casting necromancer spells. All necromancer spells have their HP cost reduced by an amount
equal to your constitution modifier to a minimum of 1.

Necromancer Spell List

Cantrips
Chill Touch
Dancing Lights
Frostbite (EE)
Mending
Message
Ray of Frost
Spare the Dying
Vicious Mockery

1st Level
Arms of Hadar
Bane
Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic
False Life
Find Familiar
Fog Cloud
Identify
Inflict Wounds
Protection from Evil and Good
Ray of Sickness
Shield of Faith
Silent Image
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Unseen Servant

2nd Level
Arcane Lock
Augury
Blindness/Deafness
Calm Emotions
Crown of Madness
Enlarge/Reduce
Gentle Repose
Knock
Levitate
Moonbeam
Nystul's Magic Aura
Ray of Enfeeblement
See Invisibility
Silence
Spider Climb
Warding Wind (EE)
3rd Level
Animate Dead
Bestow Curse
Blink
Clairvoyance
Dispel Magic
Feign Death
Glyph of Warding
Hunger of Hadar
Magic Circle
Nondetection
Remove Curse
Revivify
Sleet Storm
Slow
Speak with Dead
Tongues
Vampiric Touch

4th Level
Blight
Compulsion
Confusion
Death Ward
Divination
Evard's Black Tentacles
Gaurdian of Faith
Hallucinatory Terrain
Leomund's Secret Chest
Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum

5th Level
Cloudkill
Commune
Contact Other Plane
Contagion
Dispel Evil and Good
Dream
Hallow
Modify Memory
Raise Dead
Rary's Telepathic Bond
Reincarnate
Scrying

6th Level
Circle of Death
Create Undead
Disintigrate
Eyebite
Guards and Wards
Harm
Investiture of Ice (EE)
Magic Jar
Wall of Ice
Word of Recall

7th Level
Etherealness
Finger of Death
Resurrection
Sequester
Symbol

8th Level
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
Clone
Feeblemind
Power Word Stun

9th Level
Astral Projection
Power Word Kill
True Ressurection
Weird