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rferries
2021-02-11, 10:09 PM
This subclass is intended as a replacement or alternative to the official necromancer wizard subclass; it focuses on a necromancer's power over life and death, as well as a single strong minion rather than many weaker (and spotlight-stealing!) minions.

Necromancy Savant
Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a necromancy spell into your spellbook is halved.

Grim Minion
At 2nd level, you may animate the corpse of a Medium humanoid as a minion with undying loyalty. This minion has the statistics of a skeleton or zombie, except as described below. It obeys your verbal commands without question. If you do not share a common language, it simply follows you tirelessly and fights to the death to protect you.

Your minion gains additional Hit Dice (d8s) sufficient to increase its Hit Dice total to equal your wizard level. It gains proficiency in any saves it does not already have proficiency in and adds its proficiency bonus to its Armour Class. While you command it, it cannot be charmed or frightened and has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Your minion is proficient with light armour and simple weapons. You must provide your minion with arms and armour yourself.

If the minion has been destroyed and you are within 5 feet of its corpse, you may spend 10 minutes and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to revive it. The minion returns to unlife after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.

At the end of a long rest, you can create a new minion from the corpse of a Medium humanoid. If you already have a minion from this feature, the first one immediately becomes free-willed. The minion also becomes free-willed if you die.

At higher levels, your minion may gain the ability to create other undead. Any undead created in this way are free-willed.

Life and Undeath
At 6th level, you gain proficiency with Medicine.

Additionally, contagion, harm, heal, inflict wounds, lesser restoration, raise dead, reincarnation, regenerate, greater restoration, revivify, spare the dying, and speak with dead are added to the wizard's spell list for you. Other wizards cannot copy these extra spells from your spell book unless they are also necromancers.

The Path To Lichdom
Beginning at 10th level, you have resistance to necrotic damage and to poison damage.

Additionally, whenever you create a new minion you may create any undead with a challenge rating of 2 or less (subject to DM approval) instead of a skeleton or zombie.

Master Necromancer
Starting at 14th level, whenever you create a new minion you may create any undead with a challenge rating of 5 or less (subject to DM approval) instead of a skeleton or zombie.

Additionally, if your minion is a skeleton or zombie it gains one of the following feats for which it meets the prerequisites: Defensive Duelist, Dual-Wielder, Grappler, Great Weapon Master, Mobile, Mounted Combatant, Sharpshooter, Tough, or War Caster.

Finally, your minion gains some of the benefits associated with a particular class of your choice, as described below. Once you make this decision it is permanent until you create a new minion.



Class
Ability
Proficiencies
Class Features


Barbarian
Constitution
Shields, martial weapons, Athletics
Rage, Unarmoured Defence, Reckless Attack, Extra Attack, Fast Movement, Brutal Critical


Bard
Charisma
Performance, one musical instrument of your choice
Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration, Song of Rest, Font of Inspiration, Countercharm


Cleric
Wisdom
Medium armour, shields, Religion
Spellcasting, Channel Divinity, Divine Domain (Death)


Fighter
Dexterity or Strength
Medium armour, heavy armour, shields, martial weapons, one of Athletics or Acrobatics
Fighting Style, Martial Archetype (Champion), Extra Attack


Paladin
Charisma
Medium armour, heavy armour, shields, martial weapons, Intimidation
Divine Sense, Lay On Hands, Fighting Style, Sacred Oath (Oathbreaker or Vengeance), Extra Attack, Aura of Protection


Rogue
Dexterity
Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, thieves' tools
Sneak Attack, Cunning Action



Ability: If the minion's ability score for the relevant ability is less than 14, it increases to 14. Otherwise, that ability score increases by 2 (to a maximum of 30).

Proficiencies: The minion gains the relevant armour, weapon, skill, and tool proficiencies.

Class Features: The minion gains the relevant class features. Their effective class level is equal to one-half your wizard level.

kosh49
2021-02-12, 08:50 AM
The spells you are adding to the wizard class feel odd. None of the other basic schools gain any additional spells, adding spells over 5th level is something that is rarely done, and some of these spells do not feel like spells a necromancer would be interested in. Cure wounds is also particularly problematic because at level 18 you cab use Signature Spell to basically turn it into a cantrip and get infinite resource free healing. I would recommend cutting the extra spells, but if you really want extra spells the best revision is probably this "All necromancy spell of 5th level or lower (including cantrips) that are not already on the wizard's spell list are added to the wizard's spell list for you. Other wizards can not copy these extra spells from your spell book."

Grim Minion looks fine.

The second part of Life to Undeath should read:
Additionally, your minion's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your wizard level, it uses your proficiency bonus instead of its own, it gains proficiency in any saves it does not already have proficiency in, and it adds your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls.
This prevents it from adding two different proficiency bonuses (yours and its own) to attack rolls or any saving throws. (It also boosts the Perception and Stealth skills on the wight, which I the only one of the undead choices listed that has any skills.)

In the Path to Lichdom the Constitution saving throw proficiency should be cut. Getting necrotic resistance ad a boost to the power of your minion is already good, it does not need more. And adding a saving throw proficiency is a big deal, with Constitution being especially useful for a caster. I would be worried that giving Constitution saving throw proficiency was too much to give a wizard if it were the only thing you gave at this level.

The 14th level ability looks fine.

rferries
2021-02-12, 06:02 PM
The spells you are adding to the wizard class feel odd. None of the other basic schools gain any additional spells, adding spells over 5th level is something that is rarely done, and some of these spells do not feel like spells a necromancer would be interested in. Cure wounds is also particularly problematic because at level 18 you cab use Signature Spell to basically turn it into a cantrip and get infinite resource free healing. I would recommend cutting the extra spells, but if you really want extra spells the best revision is probably this "All necromancy spell of 5th level or lower (including cantrips) that are not already on the wizard's spell list are added to the wizard's spell list for you. Other wizards can not copy these extra spells from your spell book."

Grim Minion looks fine.

The second part of Life to Undeath should read:
Additionally, your minion's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your wizard level, it uses your proficiency bonus instead of its own, it gains proficiency in any saves it does not already have proficiency in, and it adds your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls.
This prevents it from adding two different proficiency bonuses (yours and its own) to attack rolls or any saving throws. (It also boosts the Perception and Stealth skills on the wight, which I the only one of the undead choices listed that has any skills.)

In the Path to Lichdom the Constitution saving throw proficiency should be cut. Getting necrotic resistance ad a boost to the power of your minion is already good, it does not need more. And adding a saving throw proficiency is a big deal, with Constitution being especially useful for a caster. I would be worried that giving Constitution saving throw proficiency was too much to give a wizard if it were the only thing you gave at this level.

The 14th level ability looks fine.

Thanks for your very detailed and clever comments, I've edited them in. I broadened the Savant fix to all necromancy spells; I feel like a specialist wizard should have access to all spells of that school (so a game with this alternative subclass would have similar equivalents for all the other school Savants). Plus, if the Signature Spell thing prevents them from having true power over both life and death, at the very least necromancers should be able to cast harm :D

kosh49
2021-02-12, 06:27 PM
As far as adding all necromancy spells goes, do you really want your necromancers picking up Resurrection and True Resurrection?

Extending this benefit to all of the schools is problematic due to how variable it is in terms of how much it adds. If you look in the Player's Handbook, Xanthar's Guide, and Tasha's Cauldron for spells to add to the wizard list the school of necromancy adds 10 spells, including the two Resurrection spells I mentioned. For the other schools the numbers are: Abjuration=24, Conjuration=32, Divination=14, Enchantment=15, Evocation=39, Illusion=1, and Transmutation=31. That is an awful lot of variability in the value of the extra spells feature.

Also, those 3 books include the following spells which can not be added to the wizard spell list (because they create infinite healing or infinite hit points at wizard level 18): Aid, Cure Wounds, Goodberry, Healing Spirit, Healing Word, and Prayer of Healing.

rferries
2021-02-12, 07:22 PM
As far as adding all necromancy spells goes, do you really want your necromancers picking up Resurrection and True Resurrection?

Extending this benefit to all of the schools is problematic due to how variable it is in terms of how much it adds. If you look in the Player's Handbook, Xanthar's Guide, and Tasha's Cauldron for spells to add to the wizard list the school of necromancy adds 10 spells, including the two Resurrection spells I mentioned. For the other schools the numbers are: Abjuration=24, Conjuration=32, Divination=14, Enchantment=15, Evocation=39, Illusion=1, and Transmutation=31. That is an awful lot of variability in the value of the extra spells feature.

Also, those 3 books include the following spells which can not be added to the wizard spell list (because they create infinite healing or infinite hit points at wizard level 18): Aid, Cure Wounds, Goodberry, Healing Spirit, Healing Word, and Prayer of Healing.

Hmm, I might have to have a rethink, or at least curate the list of spells that can be added for each school.. or perhaps simply allow them to add 1 spell of each level (which would still require brewing additional illusion spells at the very least). I don't mind necromancers being able to bring back the dead (whether as living or undead), but you raise a good point about the variety of spells for the other schools.

BerzerkerUnit
2021-02-13, 12:28 AM
Unless I missed something Grim Minion is either Moon Druid broken at 2nd level or gut wrenchingly weak for the entirey of your career.

Either you mean whatever corpse stands back up with its stats but undead typing and aesthetics, if that's the case, that's Moon Druid amazing at level 2 and will stay relevant right up until you ride your zombie beholder into the bosses room and disintegrate every round. But that can't possibly be the intent.

So I suspect you mean you can make a single zombie or skeleton with a so so to hit bonus and okay HP. At level 10 you have your choice of two types of upgrade with terrible save DCs and now comparably atrocious hp totals and a similar issue at level 14 of terrible HP totals and okay bonus to hit.

As is Necromancy requires a significant investment of spell slots to make function. You can eliminate logistical issues by soft capping how many you keep with the party and parceling them out to other players. This turns what should be your primary schtick into a party trick.

Here's some ideas to knock it up a notch or two so "Lord of the Dead" is a little more obvious.

Affinity of Undeath.
At 2nd level Rip off the L1 Undying Warlock Patron feature and add the following:
Additionally, you learn the spell Find Familiar if you don't know it already. When you cast Find Familiar you have the option of summoning the spirit of a recently deceased creature. Bound by shackles of your arcane power this spirit uses the stats of a Spectre but otherwise functions as described in the Find Familiar spell.

(this opens some nice Warlock synergy for Chain Pact that can't be achieved until at least level 5, only a level before a full hexblade would get a similar schtick at a major slow down in spell acquisition).

Immortal Servants
At level 6 you learn the Summon Undead and Speak with Dead spells if you haven't already. When you cast Summon Undead the duration equals a number of hours equal to the spell slot used to cast the spell.

Undead Abominations
Beginning at 10th level you may choose either of the following options when you cast Summon Undead with a spell slot of 5th level or higher:
Barrow Master- When the undead reduces a creature to 0 hp it rises as a zombie with 1 hit point at the beginning of its next turn. This zombie moves toward the nearest hostile creature and attacks the target until it's dead or the zombie is destroyed. The zombie falls inert when the target is killed or after 1 minute.
Attack: Barrow Blade- 1d10 + 3 + your Proficiency bonus slashing damage + 1d8 Necrotic damage.

Cursed Dead- The Undead has the Earth Glide trait and Creatures hit by the undead must succeed on a Con saving throw against your spell DC or contract Mummy Rot. Attack: Cursed Grasp- 1d8+3+Proficiency bonus bludgeoning damage +2d6 Poison damage and the target is grappled (Escape DC is your Spell DC).

Lesser Vampyre- The Undead has a climb speed equal to its speed. Attack: Draining Bite- 2d4+3+Proficiency bonus Piercing damage+1d8 Necrotic damage. Once per turn on a hit the undead can regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt by its bite.

No Life King
Beginning at 14th level you may: word for word the original features with the following added:

Additionally, you can add the following option to any of your Undead when you cast Summon Undead with a spell slot of 7th level or higher:
Aura of Annihilation- living creatures that start their turn within 10 feet of the undead automatically fail death saving throws, take 10 Necrotic damage, and cannot recover hit points.


So here we have a functionally very similar set of features but I think using the far more reliable

Segev
2021-02-13, 12:47 PM
I also think adding all necromancy spells to this wizard's class list is off-focus. If you're doing this for all Savant specialist abilitiea, that's one thing, but that should be its own house rule, not a change in a rewrite for one Specialty.

I don't think the Grim Minion keeps up very well at higher level. I would keep it as-is for the level 2 feature, though, and simply use the existing necromancer features after that. Add a clause that the Grim Minion gets the level six bonus as if it were any other skeleton or zombie the Necromancer created.

Given your desire to reduce the minion horde, however, what I recommend is creating a template that transforms any corporeal creature into a grim minion by making it under and giving it the right immunities and removing any obviously problematic traits. This lets it scale with the things the necromancer fights. Maybe cap it at half his CR.

rferries
2021-02-17, 12:48 AM
So I've had a rethink and made some edits. The Savant has been restored to the standard version, the extra spells have been added later as a curated list focusing on life, death, flesh, etc without Spell Mastery abuse, and the minion features have been buffed.

For reference, my original goal was to provide a minion along the lines of a Steel Defender, though obviously the subclass has strayed somewhat far from that haha. Now instead of using Command Undead to get a Mummy Lord, you can make a psuedo-mummy lord yourself by giving a mummy extra HD and cleric casting, or make a psuedo-death knight, vampire bard, etc from lesser undead.