Custom Necromancy Spells

[Chilxius]

I'm running a campaign in which a wizard NPC is going to interact frequently with the party. She's a LG Necromancer who can't evoke, which is a fun build but limits her spell choice due to alignment. I want her to create her own spells and share them with the party wizard. I've come up with a few, but any suggestions for custom, non-evil necromancy spells would be helpful.

Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Effect: One living creature
Duration: 1 round/level; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

On a failed save, the target loses control of a randomly chosen limb. A limb can be anything used to manipulate objects, attack, or move; arms, legs, tentacles, wings, and tails (if prehensile) are all viable targets. On each subsequent turn, up to a maximum your Caster Level, another save must be made or another limb is numbed. Any successful save prevents new limbs becoming numb, but does not restore already numbed limbs. Numb limbs remain numb for one round per caster level, starting on the round that limb was effected.
Numb limbs cannot receive commands from the target’s mind and are limp. Limp arms (or equivalent grasping limbs) drop what they are holding and cannot be used to attack. Limp legs (or equivalent walking limbs) reduce the target’s ground speed. Standard bipeds are reduced to 5 ft.; your DM can decide how other creatures are affected. Creatures reduced to one usable wing drop by two levels of maneuverability, to a minimum of clumsy. Creatures reduced to no usable wings fall, taking damage as appropriate.
A creature whose limbs have all been numbed falls prone and is considered pinned until one of its limbs becomes usable again.
A creature with only two limbs gets +2 on its save. A creature with only one limb (such as a naga) gets +4 on its save.
The spell has no effect on constructs, elementals, undead, or creatures without limbs.
Arcane Material Component: A pin or nail. Rusty components work just as well.

Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4

As Molly’s Lesser Numbness, except that the target makes saves for all of its limbs at once. Successful saves do not effect the other saves.

Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Targets: One or more creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart

As Molly’s Numbness, except as noted above.

Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Duration: Instantaneous

As Molly’s Lesser Numbness, except as noted above.
Arcane Material Component: A silver nail worth at least 50g.

[Chronos]

The level 4 version is too powerful: It's a save-or-suck, except you have to make four saves or suck.

The level 6 version needs some way to undo it. Regeneration is the first thing to come to mind, but that's 1-3 spell levels higher. Likewise for Greater Restoration. Regular Restoration, maybe? Remove Paralysis? Or just make it permanent instead of instantaneous, so a regular old Dispel Magic will do the trick.

For other spells, given that she's banned evocation, she's probably developed some direct damage spells of her own. Don't just copy over Fireball and Lightning Bolt with a different damage type, as that cheapens evocation, but use them for inspiration. Maybe she has a spell that does less damage than Fireball, but gives the caster some temporary HP, for instance.

It's also quite plausible that she has some spells specifically for attacking undead, as that fits into necromancy just as much as creating them does. This might overlap with the direct damage spells: A "fireball" that only hurts undead could come in handy, since you don't need to worry about accidentally hitting your teammates (and maybe give it a larger area of effect, too, to make that more relevant).

[DrMotives]

For other spells, given that she's banned evocation, she's probably developed some direct damage spells of her own. Don't just copy over Fireball and Lightning Bolt with a different damage type, as that cheapens evocation, but use them for inspiration. Maybe she has a spell that does less damage than Fireball, but gives the caster some temporary HP, for instance.

It's also quite plausible that she has some spells specifically for attacking undead, as that fits into necromancy just as much as creating them does. This might overlap with the direct damage spells: A "fireball" that only hurts undead could come in handy, since you don't need to worry about accidentally hitting your teammates (and maybe give it a larger area of effect, too, to make that more relevant).

For direct damage blaster spells, there's bunches in Conjuration as well. As far as Necromancies that hurt undead, the PH already has "disrupt undead", which uses positive energy to do double the damage of same level "ray of frost" does. So it seems that a line of other necromancy spells using positive energy with no healing effect could do more damage than their level might otherwise suggest, at least for non-AoE spells. It'd also be appropriate for her to summon Xag-Yas, the positive energy energon. That's as close to an anti-undead elemental as D&D gets.

[Chilxius]

My idea was that the lvl 4 was just the lvl 2, but it happened all at once. And it's not as bad as being paralyzed, which lower level spells can do to you. A good fighter will likely make most of the saves, and a wizard will be fine as long as he keeps a hand for casting. Which begs the question: can you use your foot for somatic components?

You're right about the lvl 6. How about:
Restoration restores the use of one limb per casting. Greater Restoration, Regenerate, or Heal ends the effect.

When it comes to dealing with the undead, specialist Necromancers are already armed to the teeth. Controlling, Commanding, and Halting undead, not to mention the fun spells from other sources like Life Bolt and Greater Disrupt Undead. A positive-energy ball would be pretty neat, though. Thing is, she's an NPC. If one of my players had made her, I'd be throwing undead at her like crazy. I don't want to make a fight tailored for her and turn Molly into a Mary Sue (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue).

This will mostly be an aquatic campaign. I'm hoping our caster tries these spells out on a Kraken. There'll also be a lot of aberrations, and these spells are life-savers against Mind-Flayers.

[Darth Ultron]

Molly's Numbness looks too powerful. To deny the use of a limb is a big effect. Even worse are the effects given in the spell. A numb leg takes movement down to 5? 5? That is really low. A movement rate of half would be much more balanced. Same way a nub arm should just be a -2 to rolls. And so on.

[Taveena]

For what it's worth, Eberron Campaign Setting has the Create Deathless and Create Greater Deathless spells, which can let you zombie horde it up... except [Good]. Keep in mind, as Deathless are a separate type to Undead, Control Undead doesn't work (and frankly, even using Turn Undead to rebuke them into following you is a bit of a **** move), so Diplomacy and raw charisma can keep 'em following you.

[Telok]

Some stuff Iused in an old campaign.

New Magic
Forced Evolution: Sorcerer/Wizard 6, Necromancy, VSM.
This spell takes 8 hours to cast and consumes 1000 gp of materials per hit die of the target.
One unresisting undead creature has the Evolved (Liber Mortis) template added to it. Using this spell on a creature dispels all magic currently on the target.

Irresistible Template: Sorcerer/Wizard 7, Necromancy, VSM.
This spell takes 8 hours to cast and consumes 2000 gp of materials per hit die of the target (including the final adjusted hit dice, e.g. a Titanic animal would cost 50,000 gp).
One unresisting creature has a template added to it. If the target is a valid subject for the template then this spell may be used again to add another template to it at a later date. If the target is not a valid subject for the template then may or may not be added to the target creature (DM's choice) and this spell will have no additional effect on that creature if it is used again. Using this spell on a creature counts as a hostile act and dispels all magic currently on the target.

Old Magic
Clumsiness (Enchantment/Charm) L3
Range: 10 yards per level
Duration: 1 minute per level
Area of Effect: 30ft. cube
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 24 seconds
Saving Throw: Special

Effect: When a fumble spell is cast, the magic-user causes the recipient of the magic to suddenly become clumsy and awkward. Running creatures will trip and fall, those reaching for an item will fumble and drop it, those employing weapons will likewise awkwardly drop them. Recovery from a fall or of a fumbled object will typically require the whole of the next melee round. Note that breakable items might suffer damage when dropped.

Saving Throw: If the victim makes his or her saving throw, the fumble will simply make him or her effectively operate at one-half normal efficiency (cf. slow spell).

MC: The material component of this spell is a dab of solidified milk fat.

Quickness (Alteration) L3
Range: 60 yards
Duration: 3 minutes + 1 minute per level
Area of Effect: 40ft. cube, 1 creature per level
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 18 seconds
Saving Throw: None

Effect: When this spell is CAST, affected creatures function at double their normal movement and attack rates.

Thus, a creature moving at 60 and attacking 1 time per round would move at 120 and attack 2 times per round. Spell casting is not more rapid.
The number of creatures which can be affected is equal to the level of experience of the magic-user, those creatures closest to the spell caster being affected in preference to those farther away, and all affected by haste must be in the designated area of effect.
Note that this spell negates the effects of a slow spell (see hereafter).
Additionally, this spell ages the recipients due to sped up metabolic processes.

MC: A shaving of licorice root.
This spell negates a slow effect, and ages the recipient a year.

Electric Blast (Evocation) L3
Range: 40 yards + 10 yards per level
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 18 seconds
Saving Throw: 1/2

Area: The AREA of the lightning bolt's effect is determined by the spell caster, just as its distance is.
The stroke can be either a forked bolt 10ft. wide and 40ft. long, or a single bolt 5ft. wide and 80ft. long.

Range: The range of the bolt is the location of the commencement of the stroke, i.e. if shot to 60ft., the bolt would extend from this point to 40 or 80 feet further distance, depending on the type of bolt.

Effect: Upon casting this spell,
the caster releases a powerful stroke of electrical energy which causes damage equal to 1 six-sided die (d6) for each level of experience of the spell caster to creatures within its area of effect, or 50% of such damage to such creatures which successfully save versus the attack form. The lightning bolt will set fire to combustibles, sunder wooden doors, splinter up to 1 foot thickness of stone, and melt metals with a low melting point (lead, gold, copper, silver, bronze). Saving throws must be made for objects which withstand the full force of a stroke (cf. fireball). If the full length of the stroke is not possible due to the interposition of a non-conducting barrier (such as a stone wall), the lightning bolt will double and rebound towards its caster, its length being the normal total from beginning to end of stroke, damage caused to interposing barriers notwithstanding.

MC: A bit of fur and an amber, and a crystal or glass rod.

Note that physical damage is not exceptional, so that if a solid wall is struck, the bolt effectively rebounds its full remaining distance. If it strikes a barrier which is shattered/broken through by the force of the stroke, then the bolt continues beyond.

Effect.UW: Underwater, this spell resembles a fireball as pertains to area of effect. Instead of a stroke, the electrical discharge takes the form of a 20ft. radius sphere, centering on the point where a stroke would originate were the spell cast above water. All those within the sphere will suffer the full effect (saving throw indicates one-half damage).

Example.area: If a 12th level magic-user cast the spell at its maximum range, 160 yards in this case, the stroke would begin at 480ft. and flash outward from there, as a forked bolt ending at 600ft. or a single one ending at 720ft.

Example.rebound: An 80ft. stroke is begun at a range of 120ft., but the possible space in the desired direction is only 100ft.; so the bolt begins at the 100ft. maximum, and it rebounds 80ft. in the direction of its creator.

[Chilxius]

Molly's Numbness looks too powerful. To deny the use of a limb is a big effect. Even worse are the effects given in the spell. A numb leg takes movement down to 5? 5? That is really low. A movement rate of half would be much more balanced. Same way a nub arm should just be a -2 to rolls. And so on.

The effect is no more powerful than Ghoul Touch or Hold Person - you're not helpless, even if you fail all the saves. I guess it does have a greater chance that some bad thing will happen. Maybe if it changed to ending once they make a save, or maybe two consecutive saves.

For the land speed I took the mermaid land speed, which is 5'. Essentially that's what you become with one usable leg, especially if you're in heavy armor. I suppose half speed would be more fair, though Slow can do that to multiple creatures as a 3rd lvl spell. Molly's Numbness should be on par with Bestow Curse.

Use this change:
Standard bipeds with one numb leg must make Balance checks to move more than 5'. The DC to move 10' is 10, and the DC increases by 5 for each additional 5' you try to move per round. A DC 20 Balance or Tumble check is required to perform a 5' step.

"Quickness (Alteration) L3...
...This spell negates a slow effect, and ages the recipient a year."
Woah. I like.
How about this for a necro spell:

Necromancy [Death, Sonic]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Target: One living mortal creature
Duration: One minute/Instantaneous (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You strike the bell, sending out a sepulchral tone. If the target fails its fortitude save, it advances to the next age category. (Adult -> Middle -> Old -> Venerable) The target suffers -1 to its Str, Dex, and Con as normal for aging, but does not gain the bonus to its other abilities. The target must save again next round or advance to the next category. A creature that advances past Venerable dies.
Upon a successful save, the target stops aging. The effect reverts when the spell ends.
Some creatures, particularly dragons, take longer to die than most humanoids and must advance through all their age categories (but do not grow stronger due to the effects of this spell).
Creatures killed by this spell are not prevented from being raised as is normal for creatures who die from old age.
Focus: A bronze bell with funerary poetry inscribed on it.

[Darth Ultron]

The effect is no more powerful than Ghoul Touch or Hold Person - you're not helpless, even if you fail all the saves. I guess it does have a greater chance that some bad thing will happen. Maybe if it changed to ending once they make a save, or maybe two consecutive saves.

Though both hold person and ghoul touch are touch spells. And ghoul touch only lasts a couple rounds and hold person gives you a save every round to negatate.




For the land speed I took the mermaid land speed, which is 5'. Essentially that's what you become with one usable leg, especially if you're in heavy armor. I suppose half speed would be more fair, though Slow can do that to multiple creatures as a 3rd lvl spell. Molly's Numbness should be on par with Bestow Curse.

Does the spell polymorph people into mermaids?

Slow is 3rd level and reduces speed to half. A second level spell reducing speed to 5 is more powerful then that.

Bestow curse can give -6 to an ability or -4 to rolls. This spell is way more powerful then that as you can't use a limb at all.

The balance check just looks needlessly complicated....

Molly's Dirge...guess this looks ok.

Use this change:
Standard bipeds with one numb leg must make Balance checks to move more than 5'. The DC to move 10' is 10, and the DC increases by 5 for each additional 5' you try to move per round. A DC 20 Balance or Tumble check is required to perform a 5' step.

"Quickness (Alteration) L3...
...This spell negates a slow effect, and ages the recipient a year."
Woah. I like.
How about this for a necro spell:

Necromancy [Death, Sonic]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Target: One living mortal creature
Duration: One minute/Instantaneous (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You strike the bell, sending out a sepulchral tone. If the target fails its fortitude save, it advances to the next age category. (Adult -> Middle -> Old -> Venerable) The target suffers -1 to its Str, Dex, and Con as normal for aging, but does not gain the bonus to its other abilities. The target must save again next round or advance to the next category. A creature that advances past Venerable dies.
Upon a successful save, the target stops aging. The effect reverts when the spell ends.
Some creatures, particularly dragons, take longer to die than most humanoids and must advance through all their age categories (but do not grow stronger due to the effects of this spell).
Creatures killed by this spell are not prevented from being raised as is normal for creatures who die from old age.
Focus: A bronze bell with funerary poetry inscribed on it.[/QUOTE]

[Coidzor]

A creature with all of its legs or leg-equivalents numb should also probably fall prone, too, I'd recommend stating that clearly.

Might also wanna consider whether the tail that naga or certain kinds of yuan-ti or merfolk have counts as a limb despite not being prehensile due to its role in locomotion.

[Chilxius]

Though both hold person and ghoul touch are touch spells. And ghoul touch only lasts a couple rounds and hold person gives you a save every round to negate.

I guess reducing the duration would be fair. Lesser Numbness would be a little less rough than Ghoul Touch but last longer.
As far as being touch spells, any good Necromancer should have a Spectral Hand ready. All their touch spells are ranged touch.

Mermaid and Yuan-ti tails count as limbs, since they provide locomotion. You're right, creatures should fall prone when their legs are all numb.


Bestow curse can give -6 to an ability or -4 to rolls. This spell is way more powerful then that as you can't use a limb at all.
But Bestow Curse is permanent. It can also give a 50% to lose a turn; I'd rather have one usable arm that I know will work.

Much of what I wanted this spell to do was make players think outside the box. A fighter who drops their sword might want to try shield bashing, which they might otherwise never do.

Molly's Lesser Numbness is just a lvl 2, so maybe it should target only a single limb. If that's the case, the caster should get to choose.