Wartex1
2015-05-02, 09:38 AM
I'm mainly making this topic to avoid, well, Thread Necromancy.
Dread Necromancer
A pale hand extends forward and crackles with dark energy, the half elf's victim screaming as the crackling force discharges into still living flesh. The last breath escapes them and their soul is drawn out with it, trapped in an onyx sphere as a smirk crosses his face.
The small contingent approaches the Drow sitting in the middle of the battlefield. They draw their swords, but he suddenly begins to laugh, head tilting back and eyes glowing black as the group's former comrades rise to their feet, flesh parting around their animate skeletons as they rush forward with an eery hiss.
Grinning darkly, the Tiefling eyes the approaching paladin and steps into the light. What seemed at a distance to be bright red flesh is revealed to be rotted, hardened skin clinging to a lithe skeleton. Pointing forward, a dozen ghostly hands reach outward from the cave's crevices, reaching for the neck of the intruder.
Dread Necromancers are fueled by dark energy in the same way a Sorcerer might be fueled by raw magic or the elements, wielding these forces as if by second nature. No few claims of lich sightings were actually a run in with one of these casters, their living forms inching towards Undeath as their power grows.
Commanding the Dead
Whether they reach for Undeath themselves or simply master their control over reanimated forces, dread necromancers are the quintessential arcane masters of the dead. While a wizard may study necromantic spells, and a cleric may channel negative energy, neither have the innate connection to the once living that the dread necromancer does.
While few can tell the difference between a specialist wizard and a dread necromancer, those that can are fairly quick to distrust them. Necromancy is often seen as a vile practice, and those that seem to have a penchant for little else are tied to those assumptions. Often times, though, these claims are all too correct.
Dark Secrets
While much of their talent is innate, most dread necromancers have the same penchant for arcane knowledge as wizards and warlocks, but rather than mastering arcane schools or pledging to other beings, the necromancer reaches within, finding ways to change themselves and what they do, mastering their capabilities and even their forms in a way entirely different from either.
Transforming themselves and their surroundings like they do, however, can disconnect them from the world around them, or at least put them in such a position as to make everyone feel like there's a disconnect. Still, very few are bothered by this, much preferring to reach immortality and study eldritch secrets on their own.
Creating a Dread Necromancer
Creating a dread necromancer involves thinking into their end goals. While, unlike Sorcerers, their power normally all comes from a similar place, it's what they want to do with that power that separates any given dread necromancer.
Does he seek immortality, wanting to convert himself into something like a lich? Does he wish to gain mastery over the undead, gaining an unparalleled level of control over the animated corpses he commands? Or does he seek to control the energy within him itself, channeling negative forces in a way that would make even a cleric of Wee Jas jealous?
Quick Build
You can make a dread necromancer quickly by following these suggestions. Charisma should be your highest attribute, followed by Dexterity. Intelligence is often important too, as a third choice. Choose the Hermit background. Then, take the Chill Touch, Dancing Lights, Mage Hand and Thaumaturgy cantrips, the 1st level spells False Life and Ray of Sickness, and the 1st level rituals Detect Magic and Find Familiar.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
Spell Slots
1
+2
Spellcasting, Channel Negative Energy (1/rest)
4
2
(As full caster)
2
+2
Necromantic Focus
4
3
3
+2
Eclectic Learning
4
5
4
+2
Ability Score Improvement
5
6
5
+3
Channel Negative Energy (2/rest)
5
7
6
+3
Focus Improvement
5
9
7
+3
-
5
10
8
+3
Ability Score Improvement
5
11
9
+4
Eclectic Learning
5
13
10
+4
Focus Improvement
6
14
11
+4
-
6
15
12
+4
Ability Score Improvement
6
16
13
+5
-
6
17
14
+5
Focus Improvement
6
17
15
+5
Eclectic Learning
6
19
16
+5
Ability Score Improvement
6
19
17
+6
Focus Improvement
6
20
18
+6
-
6
21
19
+6
Ability Score Improvement
6
21
20
+6
Dread Rebirth
6
21
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per dread necromancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per dread necromancer level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Stealth, and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.
*(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
*(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
*(a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
Spellcasting
Whether through an odd birth or the 'blessing' of a dark cleric, you were infused with negative energy and necromantic power at some point in your life, infusing you with arcane magic. This dark energy fuels your spells. See chapter 10 of the PHB for rules on spellcasting and below for the dread necromancer spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the dread necromancer spell list. You learn additional dread necromancer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Dread Necromancer table.
Spell Slots
The Dread Necromancer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these dread necromancer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. The spell slot progression is the same as other full casters such as the Wizard or Druid.
Spells Known
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the dread necromancer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the dread necromancer table shows when you learn more dread necromancer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the dread necromancer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the dread necromancer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your dread necromancer spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a dread necromancer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Ritual Tome
Dread Necromancers don't simply rely on their own innate power, but also seek arcane secrets sought by traditional arcane casters. In addition to your innate ability with spells, you can learn a number of spells as rituals. This works as the Ritual Caster feat, except you always choose the Wizard spell list to learn your rituals from, and thus always use Intelligence for these spells. If you already have a ritual spell Known, you may copy it to your ritual tome at half the normal cost, and you don't need a scroll or spellbook to copy it from.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your dread necromancer spells, but not your rituals.
Channel Negative Energy
Similar to how a cleric may Channel Divinity, a Dread Necromancer can channel their internal negative energy into specific effects. To start, you can only Turn Undead, similar to a cleric, but your Necromantic Focus will grant you further effects as you advance in level, as noted in the focus descriptions.
When you use your Channel Negative Energy, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Negative Energy again.
Some Channel Negative Energy effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your dread necromancer spell save DC.
Beginning at 5th level, you can use your Channel Negative Energy twice between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
Necromantic Focus
At second level, you must select your Necromantic Focus, which defines your long term goals and the way your power is channeled. The Undead Mastery, Lich Transformation, and Energy Harnessing focuses are listed below.
Your choice grants you features at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 17th level.
Eclectic Learning
Every 3rd level, a Dread Necromancer expands their knowledge of magic, either through pilfered secrets or mastery of necromantic methods. At 3rd, 9th, and 15th level, you gain Advanced Learning; add any Necromancy spell of any level you can cast to your Spells Known, from any list (so, at 15th level you could choose up to an 8th level spell).
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.
Dread Rebirth
At 20th level, you gain access to the ultimate feature for your Necromantic Focus. In addition, when you lose at least 10 hit points from an attack by an enemy, you may choose to regain a total number of spell slots equal to one half the damage taken, though none of them may be above 5th level. This works one time; you regain this ability after a long rest.
Necromantic Focuses
While dread necromancers have varying, widespread goals, many of them focus on some form of control; either of their own bodies, the forms of the undead, or the flow of negative energy within and without.
Undead Mastery
Rather than attempting to grasp for internal power, you learn to focus your energy on control; specifically, you learn to command Undead, both those created by you and those that already walk the globe for one reason or another. Whether you plan to create an army with which to take over a nation, or simply wish to create bodyguards and assistants you can trust inherently, you are incredibly adept at manipulating un-living forms.
Rebuke Undead
At 2nd level, you gain more finesse in the way you turn undead. Instead of forcing an undead creature to run directly away from you, you may instead have them simply fall to their knees (effectively becoming prone) and cower in awe of you. In addition, if an Undead target has fewer Hit Dice than you, they have disadvantage on their save versus Turn Undead.
Corpsecraft
When you reach 6th level, you gain Animate Dead as a bonus spell known. This is done after you gain or replace other spells known for the level, so if you already knew it you may replace it beforehand. When you cast it, you may target an additional corpse or pile of bones, creating another zombie or skeleton as appropriate.
Whenever you create an undead using a necromancy spell, it has additional benefits:
• The creature’s hit point maximum is increased by your Dread Necromancer level.
• The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls.
Everlasting Control
At 10th level, you gain further control over the Undead you create. For spells such as Animate Dead and Create Undead, you no longer have to re-cast the spell to maintain control over a number of undead equal to your Proficiency Bonus. However, any other undead you still control through either spell still need to be maintained with the spell.
Command Undead
Starting at 14th level, whenever you use your Turn Undead feature from Channel Negative Energy, you can gain mastery over an undead if its CR is 3 or lower. The target undead is then under your control until you dismiss it or it is killed. For each undead you control this way, you lose one use of Channel Negative Energy until this effect ends.
Desecration
At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an area better suited to Undead. Once per day, as an action, you may create a 20 foot radius area to Desecrate. For the next hour, any Undead created there has its maximum hit points improve by the caster's level.
Dread Rebirth: Undead Lord
When you reach 20th level, you reach the penultimate level of command you can achieve over your undead minions. When casting a Necromancy spell that creates an Undead creature (Such as Animate Dead or Create Undead), you may treat the spell as if it were cast using a spell slot one level higher than was actually used, but can't go beyond 9th level. This can be done once per Short Rest.
Lich Transformation
While Dread Necromancers generally don't fully become liches, you have learned to alter your form in a manner that grants similar capabilities, and eventually a form of immortality. This is often a dangerous path, as many that see the signs of lichdom are quick to bring arms down upon the suspected necromancer.
Lich Body
At 2nd level, your unarmored AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifiers.
Channel Negative Energy: Undead Resilience
As an action, you focus on bringing your body close to the state of Undeath, and gain resistance to either bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage for 1 minute.
Undead Resistance
Starting at 6th level, you gain resistance to necrotic energy. In addition, when you use Undead Resilience, you may instead choose resistance to cold or electricity.
Paralyzing Touch
When you reach 10th level, you gain a lesser form of the Paralyzing Touch Liches are capable of. Once per short rest, you can make a melee spell attack against a creatuer. On a success, you deal 3d6 cold damage, and the target must make a Constitution save against your spell save DC. If they fail, they're also paralyzed for as long you maintain Concentration, up to a minute.
Dead Mind
At 14th level, you have advantage on saves to avoid the Frightened, Paralyzed, and Poisoned conditions, as you begin to convert your mind to match the mystic properties of an intelligent undead being.
Light Fortification
Starting at 17th level, your Undead Resilience grants you resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage.
Dread Rebirth: Lich Transformation
When you hit 20th level, you become fully Undead, taking on all properties related to undead. You no longer age, no longer need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep (but still must rest to regain spells), and become immune to poison and exhaustion. While you don't have one automatically, you may attempt to create a lich's phylactery, with all of the difficulties and benefits that entails; the requirements are largely left to the DM.
Energy Harnessing
While negative energy is so often put into the form of spells, undead alterations, and the manipulation of unliving entities, it's also an incredibly potent tool in its pure form, and many Dread Necromancers realize that fact. They learn to manipulate the flow of necrotic energy, eventually completely mastering it.
Charnel Touch
The most basic way to manipulate the negative energy within you is to simply let it flow from your touch. At 2nd level, as an action, you may make a melee spell attack against a creature or object. This does 1d8 + your Charisma modifier necrotic damage, plus another 1 necrotic damage for every Dread Necromancer level you have.
Channel Negative Energy: Negative Energy Burst
At 6th level, you can use Channel Negative energy to, rather than manipulating undead, simply let necrotic energy flow from yourself into your surroundings. Every living creature within 30 feet of yourself (besides yourself) must make a Constitution save. Any that fail take a number of d6s equal to your Proficiency bonus in necrotic damage.
Tomb Tainted Soul
Beginning at 10th level, you begin to rely on negative energy to fuel your body. Any time you would take necrotic energy damage, you are instead healed by the same amount. However, cure spells and effects no longer affect you. You may use your Charnel Touch on yourself once per short rest, and when you use Negative Energy Burst you may include yourself as a target.
Enervating Touch
At 14th level, once per short rest, when using your Charnel Touch, you can use a bonus action to force the target to make a Constitution save against your spell save DC. If they fail, their Maximum Hitpoints are lowered by the amount of Necrotic damage taken, until they take a long rest. If their maximum hitpoints are lowered to 0 (or less) by this ability, they crumble to dust as all living energy is drained from their forms.
Font of Negative Energy
At 17th level, you become entirely immune to your maximum hitpoints being lowered. In addition, you gain two additional uses of Channel Negative Energy per rest.
Dread Rebirth: Draining Necrosis
When you reach 20th level, you become a true master of negative energy, learning to not only channel it within yourself, but to more finely manipulate it when you channel it into someone else. Once per long rest, when you deal necrotic energy damage from any source to someone, you may choose to regain an equal number of hitpoints to the damage dealt.
Dread Necromancer Spells
Cantrips (0 level)
Chill Touch
Dancing Lights
Frostbite
Mage Hand
Message
Poison Spray
Ray of Frost
Thaumaturgy
True Strike
1st Level
Bane
Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic
Disguise Self
False Life
Fog Cloud
Illusory Script
Inflict Wounds
Ray of Sickness
Sleep
2nd Level
Blindness/Deafness
Darkness
Gentle Repose
Hold Person
Invisibility
Misty Step
Nystul's Magic Aura
Phantasmal Force
Ray of Enfeeblement
Shatter
3rd Level
Animate Dead
Bestow Curse
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Fear
Gaseous Form
Phantom Steed
Remove Curse
Slow
Speak with Dead
Vampiric Touch
4th Level
Banishment
Blight
Confusion
Death Ward
Dimension Door
Evard's Black Tentacles
Greater Invsibility
Phantasmal Killer
5th Level
Cloudkill
Cone of Cold
Contact Other Plane
Contagion
Creation
Hold Monster
Insect Plague
6th Level
Circle of Death
Create Undead
Disintegrate
Eyebite
Harm
True Seeing
7th Level
Etherealness
Finger of Death
Plane Shift
Sequester
Symbol
8th Level
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
Clone
Mind Blank
Trap the Soul
9th Level
Astral Projection
Imprisonment
Power Word Kill
Dread Necromancer
A pale hand extends forward and crackles with dark energy, the half elf's victim screaming as the crackling force discharges into still living flesh. The last breath escapes them and their soul is drawn out with it, trapped in an onyx sphere as a smirk crosses his face.
The small contingent approaches the Drow sitting in the middle of the battlefield. They draw their swords, but he suddenly begins to laugh, head tilting back and eyes glowing black as the group's former comrades rise to their feet, flesh parting around their animate skeletons as they rush forward with an eery hiss.
Grinning darkly, the Tiefling eyes the approaching paladin and steps into the light. What seemed at a distance to be bright red flesh is revealed to be rotted, hardened skin clinging to a lithe skeleton. Pointing forward, a dozen ghostly hands reach outward from the cave's crevices, reaching for the neck of the intruder.
Dread Necromancers are fueled by dark energy in the same way a Sorcerer might be fueled by raw magic or the elements, wielding these forces as if by second nature. No few claims of lich sightings were actually a run in with one of these casters, their living forms inching towards Undeath as their power grows.
Commanding the Dead
Whether they reach for Undeath themselves or simply master their control over reanimated forces, dread necromancers are the quintessential arcane masters of the dead. While a wizard may study necromantic spells, and a cleric may channel negative energy, neither have the innate connection to the once living that the dread necromancer does.
While few can tell the difference between a specialist wizard and a dread necromancer, those that can are fairly quick to distrust them. Necromancy is often seen as a vile practice, and those that seem to have a penchant for little else are tied to those assumptions. Often times, though, these claims are all too correct.
Dark Secrets
While much of their talent is innate, most dread necromancers have the same penchant for arcane knowledge as wizards and warlocks, but rather than mastering arcane schools or pledging to other beings, the necromancer reaches within, finding ways to change themselves and what they do, mastering their capabilities and even their forms in a way entirely different from either.
Transforming themselves and their surroundings like they do, however, can disconnect them from the world around them, or at least put them in such a position as to make everyone feel like there's a disconnect. Still, very few are bothered by this, much preferring to reach immortality and study eldritch secrets on their own.
Creating a Dread Necromancer
Creating a dread necromancer involves thinking into their end goals. While, unlike Sorcerers, their power normally all comes from a similar place, it's what they want to do with that power that separates any given dread necromancer.
Does he seek immortality, wanting to convert himself into something like a lich? Does he wish to gain mastery over the undead, gaining an unparalleled level of control over the animated corpses he commands? Or does he seek to control the energy within him itself, channeling negative forces in a way that would make even a cleric of Wee Jas jealous?
Quick Build
You can make a dread necromancer quickly by following these suggestions. Charisma should be your highest attribute, followed by Dexterity. Intelligence is often important too, as a third choice. Choose the Hermit background. Then, take the Chill Touch, Dancing Lights, Mage Hand and Thaumaturgy cantrips, the 1st level spells False Life and Ray of Sickness, and the 1st level rituals Detect Magic and Find Familiar.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
Spell Slots
1
+2
Spellcasting, Channel Negative Energy (1/rest)
4
2
(As full caster)
2
+2
Necromantic Focus
4
3
3
+2
Eclectic Learning
4
5
4
+2
Ability Score Improvement
5
6
5
+3
Channel Negative Energy (2/rest)
5
7
6
+3
Focus Improvement
5
9
7
+3
-
5
10
8
+3
Ability Score Improvement
5
11
9
+4
Eclectic Learning
5
13
10
+4
Focus Improvement
6
14
11
+4
-
6
15
12
+4
Ability Score Improvement
6
16
13
+5
-
6
17
14
+5
Focus Improvement
6
17
15
+5
Eclectic Learning
6
19
16
+5
Ability Score Improvement
6
19
17
+6
Focus Improvement
6
20
18
+6
-
6
21
19
+6
Ability Score Improvement
6
21
20
+6
Dread Rebirth
6
21
Class Features
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per dread necromancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per dread necromancer level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Stealth, and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.
*(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
*(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
*(a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
Spellcasting
Whether through an odd birth or the 'blessing' of a dark cleric, you were infused with negative energy and necromantic power at some point in your life, infusing you with arcane magic. This dark energy fuels your spells. See chapter 10 of the PHB for rules on spellcasting and below for the dread necromancer spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the dread necromancer spell list. You learn additional dread necromancer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Dread Necromancer table.
Spell Slots
The Dread Necromancer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these dread necromancer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. The spell slot progression is the same as other full casters such as the Wizard or Druid.
Spells Known
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the dread necromancer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the dread necromancer table shows when you learn more dread necromancer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the dread necromancer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the dread necromancer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your dread necromancer spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a dread necromancer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Ritual Tome
Dread Necromancers don't simply rely on their own innate power, but also seek arcane secrets sought by traditional arcane casters. In addition to your innate ability with spells, you can learn a number of spells as rituals. This works as the Ritual Caster feat, except you always choose the Wizard spell list to learn your rituals from, and thus always use Intelligence for these spells. If you already have a ritual spell Known, you may copy it to your ritual tome at half the normal cost, and you don't need a scroll or spellbook to copy it from.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your dread necromancer spells, but not your rituals.
Channel Negative Energy
Similar to how a cleric may Channel Divinity, a Dread Necromancer can channel their internal negative energy into specific effects. To start, you can only Turn Undead, similar to a cleric, but your Necromantic Focus will grant you further effects as you advance in level, as noted in the focus descriptions.
When you use your Channel Negative Energy, you choose which effect to create. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Negative Energy again.
Some Channel Negative Energy effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your dread necromancer spell save DC.
Beginning at 5th level, you can use your Channel Negative Energy twice between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
Necromantic Focus
At second level, you must select your Necromantic Focus, which defines your long term goals and the way your power is channeled. The Undead Mastery, Lich Transformation, and Energy Harnessing focuses are listed below.
Your choice grants you features at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 17th level.
Eclectic Learning
Every 3rd level, a Dread Necromancer expands their knowledge of magic, either through pilfered secrets or mastery of necromantic methods. At 3rd, 9th, and 15th level, you gain Advanced Learning; add any Necromancy spell of any level you can cast to your Spells Known, from any list (so, at 15th level you could choose up to an 8th level spell).
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.
Dread Rebirth
At 20th level, you gain access to the ultimate feature for your Necromantic Focus. In addition, when you lose at least 10 hit points from an attack by an enemy, you may choose to regain a total number of spell slots equal to one half the damage taken, though none of them may be above 5th level. This works one time; you regain this ability after a long rest.
Necromantic Focuses
While dread necromancers have varying, widespread goals, many of them focus on some form of control; either of their own bodies, the forms of the undead, or the flow of negative energy within and without.
Undead Mastery
Rather than attempting to grasp for internal power, you learn to focus your energy on control; specifically, you learn to command Undead, both those created by you and those that already walk the globe for one reason or another. Whether you plan to create an army with which to take over a nation, or simply wish to create bodyguards and assistants you can trust inherently, you are incredibly adept at manipulating un-living forms.
Rebuke Undead
At 2nd level, you gain more finesse in the way you turn undead. Instead of forcing an undead creature to run directly away from you, you may instead have them simply fall to their knees (effectively becoming prone) and cower in awe of you. In addition, if an Undead target has fewer Hit Dice than you, they have disadvantage on their save versus Turn Undead.
Corpsecraft
When you reach 6th level, you gain Animate Dead as a bonus spell known. This is done after you gain or replace other spells known for the level, so if you already knew it you may replace it beforehand. When you cast it, you may target an additional corpse or pile of bones, creating another zombie or skeleton as appropriate.
Whenever you create an undead using a necromancy spell, it has additional benefits:
• The creature’s hit point maximum is increased by your Dread Necromancer level.
• The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls.
Everlasting Control
At 10th level, you gain further control over the Undead you create. For spells such as Animate Dead and Create Undead, you no longer have to re-cast the spell to maintain control over a number of undead equal to your Proficiency Bonus. However, any other undead you still control through either spell still need to be maintained with the spell.
Command Undead
Starting at 14th level, whenever you use your Turn Undead feature from Channel Negative Energy, you can gain mastery over an undead if its CR is 3 or lower. The target undead is then under your control until you dismiss it or it is killed. For each undead you control this way, you lose one use of Channel Negative Energy until this effect ends.
Desecration
At 17th level, you gain the ability to make an area better suited to Undead. Once per day, as an action, you may create a 20 foot radius area to Desecrate. For the next hour, any Undead created there has its maximum hit points improve by the caster's level.
Dread Rebirth: Undead Lord
When you reach 20th level, you reach the penultimate level of command you can achieve over your undead minions. When casting a Necromancy spell that creates an Undead creature (Such as Animate Dead or Create Undead), you may treat the spell as if it were cast using a spell slot one level higher than was actually used, but can't go beyond 9th level. This can be done once per Short Rest.
Lich Transformation
While Dread Necromancers generally don't fully become liches, you have learned to alter your form in a manner that grants similar capabilities, and eventually a form of immortality. This is often a dangerous path, as many that see the signs of lichdom are quick to bring arms down upon the suspected necromancer.
Lich Body
At 2nd level, your unarmored AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifiers.
Channel Negative Energy: Undead Resilience
As an action, you focus on bringing your body close to the state of Undeath, and gain resistance to either bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage for 1 minute.
Undead Resistance
Starting at 6th level, you gain resistance to necrotic energy. In addition, when you use Undead Resilience, you may instead choose resistance to cold or electricity.
Paralyzing Touch
When you reach 10th level, you gain a lesser form of the Paralyzing Touch Liches are capable of. Once per short rest, you can make a melee spell attack against a creatuer. On a success, you deal 3d6 cold damage, and the target must make a Constitution save against your spell save DC. If they fail, they're also paralyzed for as long you maintain Concentration, up to a minute.
Dead Mind
At 14th level, you have advantage on saves to avoid the Frightened, Paralyzed, and Poisoned conditions, as you begin to convert your mind to match the mystic properties of an intelligent undead being.
Light Fortification
Starting at 17th level, your Undead Resilience grants you resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage.
Dread Rebirth: Lich Transformation
When you hit 20th level, you become fully Undead, taking on all properties related to undead. You no longer age, no longer need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep (but still must rest to regain spells), and become immune to poison and exhaustion. While you don't have one automatically, you may attempt to create a lich's phylactery, with all of the difficulties and benefits that entails; the requirements are largely left to the DM.
Energy Harnessing
While negative energy is so often put into the form of spells, undead alterations, and the manipulation of unliving entities, it's also an incredibly potent tool in its pure form, and many Dread Necromancers realize that fact. They learn to manipulate the flow of necrotic energy, eventually completely mastering it.
Charnel Touch
The most basic way to manipulate the negative energy within you is to simply let it flow from your touch. At 2nd level, as an action, you may make a melee spell attack against a creature or object. This does 1d8 + your Charisma modifier necrotic damage, plus another 1 necrotic damage for every Dread Necromancer level you have.
Channel Negative Energy: Negative Energy Burst
At 6th level, you can use Channel Negative energy to, rather than manipulating undead, simply let necrotic energy flow from yourself into your surroundings. Every living creature within 30 feet of yourself (besides yourself) must make a Constitution save. Any that fail take a number of d6s equal to your Proficiency bonus in necrotic damage.
Tomb Tainted Soul
Beginning at 10th level, you begin to rely on negative energy to fuel your body. Any time you would take necrotic energy damage, you are instead healed by the same amount. However, cure spells and effects no longer affect you. You may use your Charnel Touch on yourself once per short rest, and when you use Negative Energy Burst you may include yourself as a target.
Enervating Touch
At 14th level, once per short rest, when using your Charnel Touch, you can use a bonus action to force the target to make a Constitution save against your spell save DC. If they fail, their Maximum Hitpoints are lowered by the amount of Necrotic damage taken, until they take a long rest. If their maximum hitpoints are lowered to 0 (or less) by this ability, they crumble to dust as all living energy is drained from their forms.
Font of Negative Energy
At 17th level, you become entirely immune to your maximum hitpoints being lowered. In addition, you gain two additional uses of Channel Negative Energy per rest.
Dread Rebirth: Draining Necrosis
When you reach 20th level, you become a true master of negative energy, learning to not only channel it within yourself, but to more finely manipulate it when you channel it into someone else. Once per long rest, when you deal necrotic energy damage from any source to someone, you may choose to regain an equal number of hitpoints to the damage dealt.
Dread Necromancer Spells
Cantrips (0 level)
Chill Touch
Dancing Lights
Frostbite
Mage Hand
Message
Poison Spray
Ray of Frost
Thaumaturgy
True Strike
1st Level
Bane
Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic
Disguise Self
False Life
Fog Cloud
Illusory Script
Inflict Wounds
Ray of Sickness
Sleep
2nd Level
Blindness/Deafness
Darkness
Gentle Repose
Hold Person
Invisibility
Misty Step
Nystul's Magic Aura
Phantasmal Force
Ray of Enfeeblement
Shatter
3rd Level
Animate Dead
Bestow Curse
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Fear
Gaseous Form
Phantom Steed
Remove Curse
Slow
Speak with Dead
Vampiric Touch
4th Level
Banishment
Blight
Confusion
Death Ward
Dimension Door
Evard's Black Tentacles
Greater Invsibility
Phantasmal Killer
5th Level
Cloudkill
Cone of Cold
Contact Other Plane
Contagion
Creation
Hold Monster
Insect Plague
6th Level
Circle of Death
Create Undead
Disintegrate
Eyebite
Harm
True Seeing
7th Level
Etherealness
Finger of Death
Plane Shift
Sequester
Symbol
8th Level
Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
Clone
Mind Blank
Trap the Soul
9th Level
Astral Projection
Imprisonment
Power Word Kill