New Necromancies

[LordofBones]

Bone Blight
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature per caster level
Duration: 3 rounds, see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Before you step into the portal, you level your hand at your victim and utter a harsh whisper. For a moment, nothing happens, but only you see the faint red tint surrounding him before dissipating.

A particularly insidious spell, bone blight erodes the victim's bones; a condition that is marked by a faint tingling sensation at the onset of the effect.

In the first round, the victim's bones become brittle, causing the target to suffer 50% extra damage from bludgeoning damage. The subject also suffers one-fourth his current hit points in damage.

In the second round, the victim's condition advances to an effect similar to osteoporosis as he finds himself subject to painful fractures. Piercing and slashing damage inflicted on the victim is increased by 50%, while bludgeoning damage inflicts twice the normal amount. The subject also suffers a further one-fourth of his current hit points in damage.

In the third round, the victim's bones are sufficiently degraded that they simply crumble, collapsing both spine and skull and killing the victim instantly.

Bone blight persists for three rounds. A successful saving throw at each stage simply suppresses the effect until the next round, until the spell's full duration passes.

Creatures with no apparent skeletal structure, such as oozes, are immune to the effects of this spell. Skeletal undead suffer 1d6 damage per caster level, to a maximum of 20d6 damage (Fort halves) instead of the spell's usual effect.

Necrotic Ray
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude halves
Spell Resistance: Yes

A seething dark purple ray lashes out from your fingertip, striking your victim and enveloping him in a violet radiance.

A ray of darkness springs from your hand, inflicting 1d6 negative energy damage per caster level (to a maximum of 20d6) with a successful ranged touch attack. In addition, the victim's natural and magical fast healing or regeneration is nullified for one round per two caster levels, and the victim cannot be affected by healing spells unless a greater dispel magic is successfully cast on it. A Fortitude save reduces the healing penalty to one round per four caster levels.

Special: Wizards specialized in Necromancy inflict 1d8 damage instead of 1d6.

Shroud of the Netherworld
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/2 levels (D)

With a sharp gesture, you conclude the incantation and breathe in sharply as a sensation of utter chill wraps around you.

Shroud of the netherworld wraps you in a baneful radiance of dark power from the Negative Energy Plane. While under the effects of this spell, you gain all the immunities of the undead type, are healed by negative energy and enjoy a +1 profane bonus to your Armor Class per three caster levels. In addition, while you are under the effects of this spell, undead creatures are friendly towards you as though the relevant Diplomacy checks were successfully made.

As a standard action, you can command an undead creature with your gaze if it fails a Will saving throw (as command undead).

The shroud of the netherworld also has potent offensive capabilities. Any creature struck by your touch receives 1d8 points of negative energy damage per two caster levels +1 per point of your primary spellcasting attribute modifier (Fort halves); if the damage inflicted is equal to the creature's current hit points it dies instantly. Creatures attacking you in combat suffer one negative level for each successful strike, a Fortitude save negates the level drain but still suffers 1d6 damage to a random physical ability score.

Finally, as long as you are under the effects of the shroud, you gain a +1 bonus to the DCs of your Necromancy spells.

A shroud of the entherworld can only be removed by a successful greater dispel magic, mordenkainen's disjunction, miracle or wish.. Positive energy effects do not affect the shroud of the netherworld.

Special: Wizards specialized in Necromancy gain +2 instead of +1 to the DCs of their Necromancy spells.

[Steward]

First, kudos on the exceptionally appropriate username. Not enough people put that much effort into their presentation here and I really respect that.

Does the Fort save for Necrotic Ray also prevent the regeneration negation?

[JoshuaZ]

I'm a little confused by the wording of the first spell. Do you mean that you need to make a fortitude save each round to avoid the effect but a fortitude save on any given round doesn't impact at all whether one makes the save on the next round? If so, I'd expand the wording.

All of these are quite nice and I will likely be stealing them for my own use.

[Steward]

I think what the "saves" part means is:

The spell has 3 effects:

Round #1 - 50% increase to bludgeoning damage

Round #2 - 50% increase to piercing / slashing damage, then double damage to bludgeoning damage

Round #3 - death

If you make the save on Round 1, that delays Round 1's effect, so it occurs on Round #2 instead of Round 1. So, assuming you make the save on Round 1, the spell's effects become like this:

Round #1 - nothing (effect suppressed)

Round #2 - 50% increase to piercing / slashing damage, then 150% (!?) damage to bludgeoning (the effect suppressed from Round #1 + Round #2's normal effect)

Round #3 - death

If you make the save again on Round #2, that means you suffer nothing on either of the 1st 2 rounds but you still have to save or die on Round #3. If you save on all three rounds, then the spell essentially doesn't do anything.

Is that right?

[LordofBones]

@Steward - close. When the delay occurs, Round 1's effect occurs on round 2 and round 2's effect occurs in round 3, whereupon the spell ends. I think the spell's a bit underpowered though.

As for the healing/regen negation, I'm considering keeping the effect even after a save is made, but at a lower duration, like one round per four caster levels.

[Midwoka]

I'm a bit confused about Bone Blight's visual description, in italics... What portal are you stepping into?

[LordofBones]

I'm a bit confused about Bone Blight's visual description, in italics... What portal are you stepping into?

It was just the caster giving a parting shot. Bone Blight is pretty much invisible except for a faint tingling sensation.

[JoshuaZ]

@Steward - close. When the delay occurs, Round 1's effect occurs on round 2 and round 2's effect occurs in round 3, whereupon the spell ends. I think the spell's a bit underpowered though.


Hmm, I agree that in that case the spell is underpowered. You could probably reduce the spell level by at least 2 levels and it would be ok.

[Zarrgon]

Bone Blight looks both over powered and useless. A three round almost auto kill for ten plus creatures is way too powerful. Cast this spell and three rounds later a dozen foes die? Too powerful. And the other bone effects are a bit useless. So a creature is effected by the spell and will take more bludgeoning damage...oh no! But unless the caster has a big club or something, the effect is a bit useless.

The idea of weakling a foes bones is fine, but this spell needs a better effect and remove the instant death. Something more like ALL damage is increased by 25%, 50%, 100% for the three rounds, with a save to negate each round(though you can toss in a -2 per round) and no instant death.

Necrotic Ray is ok, but for it's level it should effect natural and magical healing, and even any positive energy cure type spells. So for example a person can be effected by cure blindness after being struck by the ray.

Shroud of the Netherworld is mostly OK, except for that annoying save or die death attack. You really want to avoid save or die....it's just no fun.

D&D game 6:01 pm
Player 1-"I move in to battle''
DM-"The lich touches you"
Player 1-"I failed my save"
DM-"Your character is dead! The end, thanks for coming over see you next week"
6:03 PM
Player 1 goes home and plays video games

The death touch is a fine idea, just don't make it instant death. It would work much better as something like the death touch domain ability: 1d8 damage and if If the total at least equals the creature’s current hit points, it dies (no save).

And the aura that drains 1d4 levels is a bit much, in a couple rounds of combat you'd drain like 20 levels! As energy drain only does 2d8, you might want to limit this to just one level drain, save to negate. But maybe add in another effect like ability damage ''if the creature makes the save they still take 1d6 damage to a random ability score'' or such.

[LordofBones]

Thanks for the feedback.

I boosted Bone Blight back to level 8 and added a hp loss component. Necrotic Ray now prevents magical healing as well, and Shroud of the Netherworld has had its death touch ability redone; it's still potent but no longer an automatic death sentence.

Bone Blight is based off the spell of the same name in Complete Book of Necromancers (2e), but it was both over and underpowered (the spell took place over a period of days, but the hp loss was 20% - 60% - death).

[Acanous]

I could see Bone Blight be level 5, actually. Possibly even 4.

Why:

There are multiple saves, and if even one is passed, it no longer kills (Like Phantasmal Killer, a lv 4 spell)

The damage it does CAN NOT kill an opponent.

It is single target.

It requires a ranged touch attack as well as offering saving throws.

Reasons for it to be 5 instead of 4:

It comes with a debuff that you have to save three times against or take (Vulnerability to Bludgeoning damage)

It is not a mind-affecting effect, nor is it a fear effect, so immunty to this is hard to come by.

It can target any living creature. Which actually means it can target plants and oozes, which is unusual given their lack of bones. If it CAN target them, it's level 5. If you add a blurb about them having to posess a skeletal structure, definately 4.

If you make it Area-of-Effect, THEN, Maybe 8th. Scorching Ray splits off every 4 caster levels. This should, too.

[LordofBones]

Clarified on what Bone Blight affects, as well as added a clause for skeletal undead (they simply suffer 1d6/level damage).

[Wavelab]

Just a note on necrotic ray. Ray spells generally don't allow a save because they require an attack roll. I'd make the fortitude save only affect the healing part of it, not the damage.

[LordofBones]

I was concerned about the damage portion, as negative energy damage is rare, but I see what you mean.

[LordofBones]

Necrosis
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Falazure 9, Sor/Wiz 9, Velsharoon 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round per caster level; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the final word leaves your lips, you watch as your victim staggers back; his skin blackening and rotting.

Pioneered by a college of powerful necromancers, knowledge of this dreadful spell has since become widespread. Necrosis has become favored for its variety of effects, even against non-skeletal undead.

First, a living creature affected by necrosis suffers 1d4 Constitution damage and 1d4 Charisma damage each round as its skin and flesh blacken and rots; sloughing off bone in a revolting display of physical and spiritual maiming. Necromancy spells cast at the victim during this effect are considerably more potent; they benefit from a +1 bonus to the DC and additionally have their damage die increased by one step.

Secondly, if the victim is already suffering from a disease; then the initial damage of the disease is inflicted in place of the spell's ability damage, and the incubation period of the disease is reduced to one round for each day of the original incubation period (i.e. if the victim suffers from filth fever, he suffers 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con, then suffers the same effect within 1d3 rounds again).

Finally, non-skeletal undead affected by this spell suffer from an accelerated rate of decay; they instantly suffer 1d6 damage per caster level to a maximum of 20d6 damage (Fort halves) and additionally have their movement speed halved.

Material Component: A piece of flesh taken from a creature dying of disease, or a square of ghoul's skin.

Special: Wizards specialized in necromancy and creatures with a disease special attack inflict an additional +1 Charisma and Constitution damage. Clerics who worship Falazure or Velsharoon add this spell to the list of spells they are able to prepare (at the DM's discretion, clerics who worship Incabulos or Myrkul are able to prepare this spell as well).