Necromancy PrC that DOES NOT deal with creating an undead horde.

[ngilop]

Basically what it says in the title.

Are there any necromancy flavored or focused Prestige Classes that do not revolve around making undead, having undead minions, and other such undead related?

I know about the dread witch from heroes of Horror and that's pretty good, but are there any others that you might know of, homebrew is an option just needs ran by the DM first.

[NecroDancer]

There is the dirgesinger from LM and I think the death delver from HoH counts as a necromancy PrC.

[Guinea_Pig]

The BoVD has a few classes that aren't explicitly for necromancers, but that could certainly apply to them. The diabolist or the thrall of gra'zt might work - they have that whole "evil spellcaster" thing going for them, which you could probably make work with a necromancer. The downside is that neither of them seems to really be that powerful...

[OldTrees1]

Which facet of necromancy are you looking to enhance?

Walker in the Wastes focuses on the escape from death area of Necromancy. Although both the Lich template class and the Ghost template class can be worthy alternatives.

[remetagross]

The Bone Knight is one such, it focuses on making you a better gish with various undead-related melee enhancement.

[Kayblis]

There's always the Master Specialist for wizards. Sure, some of its class features apply turn resistance or healing to undead, but its Moderate School Esoterica gives you immunity to ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, and negative levels for a couple rounds every time you cast a necromancy spell. You also get Greater Spell Focus, some CL boosts and some extra spells on your spellbook, all for Necromancy spells.

[Bonzai]

I always had a soft spot for the wearer of purple prc. Full casting, free item creation feats, a domain, and the ability to turn/rebuke dragons.

[ngilop]

oldtrees1, Its not for me its for a player in my group and he just said 'not focused on undead creating' and since my knowledge of necromantic themed PrCs is just the undead focused ones I came here.

The only one I knew off was the dread witch and I did not feel like combing through my sourcebooks when I could ask and get an answer much easier.


IS there a curse focused PrC that is sort of like the dread witch?

[Psyren]

Your best bet for a "cursemancer" is probably a caster PrC that just makes your spellcasting better in general, like Incantatrix or Archmage, then applying metamagic and other boosters to your bad touch/death/debuff spells. Other than fear effects, there isn't much else focused on that side of necromancy.

[ngilop]

Well the reason I asked for a 'cursemancer' is besides undead the necromancy stuff falls into 2 categories
fear and curses

So I was planning on IF there is a curse focused PrC presenting it and the dread witch as options for the player. and then letting him decide which is best for his particular concept.. which as far as I know is 'necromancer without undead'

[Psyren]

I'm using "cursemancer" as shorthand - what I mean by that is any necromancer that focuses on the non-undead aspects of necromancy (i.e. both debuffs like curses and fear spells, as well as outright save-or-die magic.) In both cases, the way to make those spells better is pretty much the way you make any directly offensive magic better, hence suggestions like AM and 'trix. Despite those classes being more general, you can still focus the kind of necromancy you want with classes like that.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Maybe use Fatespinner (CA), just skip the 5th level to avoid losing spellcasting.

Nightmare Spinner (CM) is similar to Dread Witch, but each of those loses a level of spellcasting. Check out the Fear Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?389244-Caedrus-Art-of-War-vol-1-Fear-Handbook) for more options and ideas on that type of character.

If you want to focus hard on fear effects, Bard with Inspire Awe and Haunting Melody is a very strong candidate at even the lowest levels. Go Bard 8/ Dread Witch 1/ Nightmare Spinner 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Dread Witch 4/ Nightmare Spinner 4, taking the first level of those two prestige classes as early as possible. Pick up Mother Cyst (LM) and Necromantic Bloodline (Dragon Compendium, Dragon 325) to add a collection of Necromancy spells to your list of spells known. Get an Eternal Wand (MIC) of Command Undead, anyone capable of casting arcane spells can use any eternal wand even if the spell it contains isn't on their class spell list.

[ngilop]

Maybe use Fatespinner (CA), just skip the 5th level to avoid losing spellcasting.

Nightmare Spinner (CM) is similar to Dread Witch, but each of those loses a level of spellcasting. Check out the Fear Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?389244-Caedrus-Art-of-War-vol-1-Fear-Handbook) for more options and ideas on that type of character.

If you want to focus hard on fear effects, Bard with Inspire Awe and Haunting Melody is a very strong candidate at even the lowest levels. Go Bard 8/ Dread Witch 1/ Nightmare Spinner 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Dread Witch 4/ Nightmare Spinner 4, taking the first level of those two prestige classes as early as possible. Pick up Mother Cyst (LM) and Necromantic Bloodline (Dragon Compendium, Dragon 325) to add a collection of Necromancy spells to your list of spells known. Get an Eternal Wand (MIC) of Command Undead, anyone capable of casting arcane spells can use any eternal wand even if the spell it contains isn't on their class spell list.

The groups I play with are what GiTP would consider low OP. Its pretty basic practice for a wizard to take endurance and diehard as his first level 1 feats and then toughness by 9th level.

So the loss of a caster level or 2 ( or even 4) is not going to make or break anybody character. I know that losing a caster level is wrong-bad but each table is different and that is not how any table I have played at has ever played.

thanks for the point out on nightmarespinner I appreciate it

[Geddy2112]

The soul warden (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/s-z/soul-warden/) from pathifnder is necromancy focused and specifically about destroying undead.

I second that taking any PrC with full casting and boosts to your spells would work though.

[ATHATH]

The groups I play with are what GiTP would consider low OP. Its pretty basic practice for a wizard to take endurance and diehard as his first level 1 feats and then toughness by 9th level.

So the loss of a caster level or 2 ( or even 4) is not going to make or break anybody character. I know that losing a caster level is wrong-bad but each table is different and that is not how any table I have played at has ever played.

thanks for the point out on nightmarespinner I appreciate it
I'm sorry, I'm physically recoiling in horror at the thought that anyone in their right mind would EVER want to take Toughness for its own sake after 1st level (and even then, it's still an atrocious waste of a feat). I shudder to think of their spell selections. I don't suppose you could share their typical list of prepared (or known, if they're a spontaneous caster) spells, could you? I'm morbidly curious.

What are the other party members playing?

Anyway, MOVING ON...

The Hexer PrC might be nice. Archivists can meet the "can cast Lightning Bolt as a divine spell" requirement almost by default, and Wizards can take Southern Magician to meet it as well.

The Fiend-Blooded (or whatever it's called) PrC can snag you some Necromancy spells from other spell lists.

The Mother Cyst feat gives you some kewl non-undead creating spells (well, except for that one that makes someone explode (IIRC) and then animates a cyst from their corpse, but you can just ignore that one).

Maybe have them take Dread Necromancer as their base class?

[OldTrees1]

oldtrees1, Its not for me its for a player in my group and he just said 'not focused on undead creating' and since my knowledge of necromantic themed PrCs is just the undead focused ones I came here.

The only one I knew off was the dread witch and I did not feel like combing through my sourcebooks when I could ask and get an answer much easier.


IS there a curse focused PrC that is sort of like the dread witch?

I do not know of a Curse focused PrC along the lines of Dread Witch. But now I want one.

If homebrew is possible, adapting the Dread Witch to be curse focused would be interesting.

[ZamielVanWeber]

There is a curse focused PrC: hexer. Getting in is a problem though.

[Troacctid]

Hexer is easy if Dragon Magazine material is allowed. Arcane Disciple Cleric from Dragon #311 can learn Wizard spells. (You could also be a Shugenja, but of course then you'd have to be a Shugenja.)

[ZamielVanWeber]

Shugenja, sha'ir 5/geomancer 3/, and adept get in. Other methods take some doing (and your DM will need to way in on what is a primitive race)

[Jack_McSnatch]

I dunno if or how it would work, but the blood magus sounds like something necromancerish. Blood powers and all. Maybe combine it with ostieomancer for some serious body horror necromage gish thing.