A Dread Necromancer by any other name...

[DJroboninja]

So Dread Necromancers are a phenomenally built class - well rounded, fun, and flavorful.

My only issue? Their name is two words, not one like almost every other class in the game. And for some reason that bothers me.

So, if you were to give the Dread Necromancer a new single word name, what would it be?

[Shadowscale]

So Dread Necromancers are a phenomenally built class - well rounded, fun, and flavorful.

My only issue? Their name is two words, not one like almost every other class in the game. And for some reason that bothers me.

So, if you were to give the Dread Necromancer a new single word name, what would it be?

Necromancer

[SiuiS]

I'm partial to 'necromancer', since there is no class called the necromancer. And it's basically what it is.

[frogglesmash]

Thirding Necromancer seeing as it is the necromancer class.

[MilesTiden]

... Did you forget about Dragonfire Adept? And Dragon Shaman?:smalltongue:

[Sith_Happens]

I'm partial to 'necromancer', since there is no class called the necromancer. And it's basically what it is.

Necromancy-specialized wizards are commonly referred to as "necromancers," just like Conjuration-specialists are called "conjurers" and so on. So "necromancer" actually is taken, which means that the honest-to-Gygax Necromancy class must therefore be called the "necromancest.":smallwink:

[frogglesmash]

Necromancy-specialized wizards are commonly referred to as "necromancers," just like Conjuration-specialists are called "conjurers" and so on. So "necromancer" actually is taken, which means that the honest-to-Gygax Necromancy class must therefore be called the "necromancest.":smallwink:

But that means that at some point there was the original necromance class.

[AmberVael]

Necromancy-specialized wizards are commonly referred to as "necromancers," just like Conjuration-specialists are called "conjurers" and so on. So "necromancer" actually is taken, which means that the honest-to-Gygax Necromancy class must therefore be called the "necromancest.":smallwink:

Solution 1: Rename Dread Necromancer to Necromancer, and necromancy specialized wizards to Necroposers or Necrowannabes.

Solution 2: Give Dread Necromancer Thriller based abilities. Rename them Necrodancers. (http://necrodancer.com/)

Solution 3: Come up with a sensible name that isn't Necromancer and isn't already taken. Like uh... um... I'll get back to you on that. (...ectomancer? Medium?)

[Inevitability]

Necrowizard?
Necrocaster?
Deathcaller?
Dreadmaster?
Zombiespawner?
Lichwannabe?

[Marlowe]

Wouldn't a Necromance be a nice house where Undead unlive?

I vote for "Mortifactor".

[Deox]

In some games, I call them Jerkfaces or Mailbox-heads.

Due mostly to people going uber minion-mancy, wanting to roll individually for each little guy and sucking up so much time that the games grind to a halt.

Otherwise, I'm going with Amber's Necrodancers (because that game looks fun).

[Esprit15]

I assume you mean base classes, since most PrC's have multiple words in their names.

Deathtouched? Heck, just do what Swordsage and Warblade do and smash the words together. Dreadnecromancer or Dreadnecro. Bam, done.

[frogglesmash]

We could call True Necromancers and just and change the prestige class of the same name to dreadful necromancer.

[Sian]

... Did you forget about Dragonfire Adept? And Dragon Shaman?:smalltongue:


Wu Jen, Spirit Shaman, Favored Soul, Psychic Warrior, Divine Mind, Psychic Rogue

[Esprit15]

Wu Jen, Spirit Shaman, Favored Soul, Psychic Warrior, Divine Mind, Psychic Rogue
Yeah, there's plenty of base classes with two words in them.

[Marlowe]

The "Dread" part has always seemed a little odd to me though. Favoured Soul, Spirit Shaman, Psychic Warrior...those are all straightforward descriptors of what the class is or what it does. "Dread Necromancer" stands out as a descriptor of how the class is regarded.

What if nobody's heard of you yet? Shouldn't you call yourself an "Unknown Necromancer" at first level, work up to "Obscure Necromancer" after a few levels, and finally graduate to "Dread Necromancer" after people learn to actually start dreading you?

[Sian]

The "Dread" part has always seemed a little odd to me though. Favoured Soul, Spirit Shaman, Psychic Warrior...those are all straightforward descriptors of what the class is or what it does. "Dread Necromancer" stands out as a descriptor of how the class is regarded.

What if nobody's heard of you yet? Shouldn't you call yourself an "Unknown Necromancer" at first level, work up to "Obscure Necromancer" after a few levels, and finally graduate to "Dread Necromancer" after people learn to actually start dreading you?

While a valid reason to take issue with the name, it wasn't what OP stated was his issue with it. By his qualifiers (two word names) all those mentioned fail on the same merits

[Judge_Worm]

I cast my ballot for necromancer as well. If we can differentiate between the different samurai and crusaders then necromancers shouldn't be a problem either.


Necromancy-specialized wizards are commonly referred to as "necromancers," just like Conjuration-specialists are called "conjurers" and so on. So "necromancer" actually is taken, which means that the honest-to-Gygax Necromancy class must therefore be called the "necromancest.":smallwink:

Wouldn't the Gygax name be Necromancing Man?

[ben-zayb]

Wouldn't Necrourgos/Necrourge be the right term anyway? There may be one or two spells to "divine" using corpses, but that's not what it does in general.

EDIT: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Analysis/Whatevermancy

[atemu1234]

Lichlord. After all, it is the inevitable goal.

[Inevitability]

Lichlord. After all, it is the inevitable goal.

I like this.

[Jeff the Green]

Wouldn't Necrourgos/Necrourge be the right term anyway? There may be one or two spells to "divine" using corpses, but that's not what it does in general.

EDIT: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Analysis/Whatevermancy

Necroturge is more euphonic and possibly hews more closely to the normal rules for borrowing from Greek.

What about Blightlord? Slight name overlap with Blightbringer, but not as much as Necromancer with Necromancer. It has disease spells and class features, causes zombie plagues, and creates spawning undead.

[tadkins]

Necrolord. Simple and to the point.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Necromonger.

Praise to Chronicles of Riddick!

[The Viscount]

Dreadmaster?


Dreadmaste is amusingly already taken by a PrC for Clerics of Bane.


What about Blightlord? Slight name overlap with Blightbringer, but not as much as Necromancer with Necromancer. It has disease spells and class features, causes zombie plagues, and creates spawning undead.

I'd be more concerned about the overlap with Talontar Blightlord.

I'll suggest the obvious choice because it hasn't been said yet. Reanimator.
http://www.soundonsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/reani.jpg Other possible (slightly silly) names: Deathbringer, Necromaster.

[Burley]

I had a bunch of joke names, but my tablet thought it was a bad idea, apparently.

Anyway.

I think Necroturge is the way to go. It implies a mix of arcane and divine, which the class has, sorta. I mean... Rebuking, at least, is usually reserved for divinists.

I vote Necroturge.

[Petrocorus]

I second Reanimator.


Necromonger.

And this one too. What you take is yours!

I'll add:

Untertaker (but you must wear the make-up)

Thanatologue / ...logist

Mortician

Necrologue

Frankensteiner

[Synar]

The "Dread" part has always seemed a little odd to me though. Favoured Soul, Spirit Shaman, Psychic Warrior...those are all straightforward descriptors of what the class is or what it does. "Dread Necromancer" stands out as a descriptor of how the class is regarded.

What if nobody's heard of you yet? Shouldn't you call yourself an "Unknown Necromancer" at first level, work up to "Obscure Necromancer" after a few levels, and finally graduate to "Dread Necromancer" after people learn to actually start dreading you?

I thought the name came out of the DN fear (dread) aura and its others fear based abilities.

[ben-zayb]

Necroturge is more euphonic and possibly hews more closely to the normal rules for borrowing from Greek.Ah, I see. Necroturge then!

Other ideas:
Putrifex
Mortifex
Carnifex (yeah it means butcher, but *shrug*)
Olethrofex (not my idea :smalltongue:)
Necrokinetic
Gravecaller
Gravereaper
Festermage
Rotmage

[danzibr]

In some games, I call them Jerkfaces or Mailbox-heads.

Due mostly to people going uber minion-mancy, wanting to roll individually for each little guy and sucking up so much time that the games grind to a halt.

Otherwise, I'm going with Amber's Necrodancers (because that game looks fun).
Lagmancer.

[(Un)Inspired]

Necrophile?

Mortumancer?

Lichlover?

NecroDreadmancer (it just rolls off the tongue)

[nedz]

and necromancy specialized wizards to Necroposers or Necrowannabes.

That would be Necrovancer perhaps ?


Solution 3: Come up with a sensible name that isn't Necromancer and isn't already taken. Like uh... um... I'll get back to you on that. (...ectomancer? Medium?)

Vivomancer is quite sensible, more of a lamp shade though ?

[Jeff the Green]

I'd be more concerned about the overlap with Talontar Blightlord.

Bother. Blightbringer's the prestige domain the Blightlord gives. Ignore me.*

What about Defiler? Bokor? (Though not really because that's the name of one of my homebrew classes.) Reaver? Mausoleist? Lord of Catacombs?

*Not in general, just in this instance.

[Psyren]

Lagmancer.

Any Diablo fan will get this :smallbiggrin:

[DJroboninja]

Holy crap, I didn't think this would get so many replies!

I wanted to avoid "Necromancer" because, as others have said, it's the name for Necromancy-specialist wizards.

And yeah, there are other two word classes but "Dread Necromancer" just doesn't roll off the tongue quite right.

I like Reanimator and Lichlord, thanks for those. And thanks to everyone who contributed as well.

[(Un)Inspired]

I'll suggest the obvious choice because it hasn't been said yet. Reanimator.
http://www.soundonsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/reani.jpg Other possible (slightly silly) names: Deathbringer, Necromaster.

That picture you posted of Jeffery Combs really makes him look like he's turning into a lich.

[TheCrowing1432]

Necromancer

/thread

*10chars

[danzibr]

Any Diablo fan will get this :smallbiggrin:
Glad it didn't go by unnoticed :)

[No brains]

As much as I love my schlock, I have to oppose naming them Reanimators because Herbie never could actually control his undead. None of them even last five minutes before going rogue and/ or self-destructing.

Haruspex could be another good name. Like an actual necromancer they are one who divines by dead parts. They also have an x in their name so they sound cool.

[Jeff the Green]

Ooh, I found a new one: The Resurrectionist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrectionists_in_the_United_Kingdom).

[Sith_Happens]

Any Diablo fan will get this :smallbiggrin:

The best part is, having too many minions in D&D causes more or less the equivalent of lag.:smalltongue:

[Deox]

Glad it didn't go by unnoticed :)

Too busy loading my response due to skeleton mages.