How to make spells into necromancy

[Sirperry]

I am looking for a way to add the necromancy school to existing spells (such as the feat Song of the Dead). Any ideas?

[Thurbane]

I was going to suggest the Lord of the Uttercold feat, but I think I was misremembering - I had thought it changed the school to necromancy, but I don't think it does...

[Venger]

It doesn't. It makes half the damage from a [cold] spell negative energy, but it does not make the spell necromancy.

Loath though I am to say "never" in any context while discussing 3.5, I don't think you can do this in any way aside from the aforementioned song of the dead. The closest thing I can think of is the transmuter acf spell versatility that lets you treat spells as transmutation, but I know of no similar schema for necromancy.

[Fero]

Why exactly do you want to change a spell's school? Perhaps we can come up with a way to meet your goal through some other method?

[Silva Stormrage]

Agreed, beyond song of the dead I am not sure of a way to make spells necromancy.

You could always just research a necromancy version of existing spells if your DM allows spell research.

One other thing you might not have noticed is that RAW you can apply song of the dead to non mind affecting spells. It doesn't do anything though beyond changing the school though.

Get a slaymate companion and the cost to apply the feat is 0 as well. Some DMs wouldn't allow that though and it's rather difficult to get a slaymate as a companion without your DM just allowing you to start with it or having your DM send one against you.

[Sirperry]

I'm just trying to get around spell school restrictions ;-)

[Inevitability]

I'm just trying to get around spell school restrictions ;-)

In that case, would the aforementioned transmuter spell versatility not work?

[Anthrowhale]

I'm just trying to get around spell school restrictions ;-)

If this is due to a specialist's prohibited schools, the 'arcane transfiguration' feat can provide access to one school with a steep 3 feat tax.

Alternatively, of course, you can always use UMD (available to anyone via Apprentice[Spellcaster]), and you can burn your own 1 level higher slots instead of wand/staff charges using Channel Charge. Combined with a magic mart where you can purchase wands or staffs with 1 charge, you can fake it pretty well.

[ShurikVch]

Alternatively, of course, you can always use UMD (available to anyone via Apprentice[Spellcaster]), and you can burn your own 1 level higher slots instead of wand/staff charges using Channel Charge. Combined with a magic mart where you can purchase wands or staffs with 1 charge, you can fake it pretty well.
Soul Charge (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101150327/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040818a): this spell bestows negative level on the victim; while the spell is in effect (up to 24 hours), you can "use" that negative level as a charge to activate a wand or other spell-trigger item; spell in the item should be no higher than 3rd-level (note - Soul Charge itself is 3rd-level), and item's CL shouldn't be higher than your. Even if you inflict multiple negative levels with it - only one can be used to activate an item (thus, if spell take multiple charges of the item - one charge would be substituted from the Soul Charge, and the rest - as usual, taken from the item's charges)
Spell's focus is 100 gp gem which stores stolen souls energy (no more than 1 charge per gem - but you can carry multiple gems)

[Anthrowhale]

Soul Charge (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101150327/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20040818a): this spell bestows negative level on the victim; while the spell is in effect (up to 24 hours), you can "use" that negative level as a charge to activate a wand or other spell-trigger item; spell in the item should be no higher than 3rd-level (note - Soul Charge itself is 3rd-level), and item's CL shouldn't be higher than your. Even if you inflict multiple negative levels with it - only one can be used to activate an item (thus, if spell take multiple charges of the item - one charge would be substituted from the Soul Charge, and the rest - as usual, taken from the item's charges)
Spell's focus is 100 gp gem which stores stolen souls energy (no more than 1 charge per gem - but you can carry multiple gems)

That's a nice esoteric one. With Font of Life or Ironheart Surge you could drain yourself 'for free' and keep a wide collection of utility wands/staffs on hand.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Kingdoms of Kalamar has a "make your own feat" feat: Loyalty's Reward. It requires you to be the head of an organization, but it doesn't specify the size, or what kind. If you have a familiar, that's technically you being the leader of a small one (you and your familiar). The same goes for an animal companion, or an adventuring party. So just make it a metamagic feat that increases the spell slot level by +1, and do it that way.

Alternatively, grab a convert-spell-to-power erudite as a minion. The minion would have access to all arcane spells, as well as any divine spells via various means of converting divine spells to arcane spells (such as spellcasting true dragons [which cast cleric spells as arcane spells] or true dragons with the child of Eberron draconic archetype [which cast druid spells as arcane spells]). At a sufficient level, such an erudite could add spells to a manifestation of the soul crystal power, from Magic of Incarnum, which anyone at all can cast from, even if they're part of your banned schools. This one requires both a high level and a lot of effort in getting to (probably more than your original character does).

Both require the DM to allow all that stuff, so if some of it isn't allowed, they won't work.

Of course, a regular minion with regular access to the spells you've banned would probably be better than either of the above, if only due to ease of access.