katarl
2008-02-04, 12:27 PM
Arch Necromancer
Necromancy has always been the black sheep of magic. Though nearly every hedge wizard has a scare or false life secreted away in their spellbook, very few ever attain the might and power that this most misunderstood school holds. For those few, the mysteries of life and death unravel, bending rules, and rewriting what we know about the beyond.
Hit Die: d4
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w229/minx_summerstorm/Necromancer.jpg
Requirements
To qualify to become an Arch Necromancer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 15 ranks
Feats: Spell Focus (necromancy), Skill Focus (Knowledge (religion))
Spells: Ability to cast 7th level arcane spells of the necromancy school, including control undead, bestow curse and animate dead.
Class Skills
The arch necromancer's skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy, boneworking and embalming)(Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually)(Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int) and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the arch necromancer prestige class.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Arch Necromancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armour.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new arch necromancer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 7th level necromancy spells before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 7th level necromancy spells before he became an arch necromancer, he is far too powerful anyway, and you should stop playing him.
Dark Knowledge: An arch necromancer learns forbidden lore best left unknown to mortal minds. She gains the opportunity to select a special ability from those described below by permanently eliminating one existing spell slot (she cannot eliminate a spell slot of higher level than the highest level spell she can cast). Each special ability has a minimum required spell slot level, as specified in its description.
An arch necromancer may choose to eliminate a spell slot of a higher level than is required to gain a type of dark knowledge.
Nether Frost (Su): The arch necromancer gains the ability to change arcane spell energy into an arcane rift to the negative energy plane, sucking away life and vigour. The rift is a melee touch attack that deals 1d8 points of cold and negative energy damage per class level of the arch necromancer, plus 1d8 points of cold and negative energy damage per level of the spell used to create the effect. This ability costs one 9th level spell slot.
Mort Flesh:The arch necromancer's body becomes gaunt and clammy, as if recently deceased. He gains a +4 racial bonus to disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning and death effects. He also gains a 25% chance to ignore critical hits or sneak attacks. This ability costs one 7th level slot.
Undead Mastery: The arch necromancer can command lesser undead simply by force of will. When commanding or controlling undead using a necromancy spell, he may control 4 plus his arch necromancer level times his caster level of undead, rather than just 4 times his caster level. This ability costs one 7th level slot.
Soul Mastery: The arch necromancer can twist souls and spirits to do his bidding. When casting a spell with the curse descriptor, he may add an additional effect to a creature that fails their save. When that creature dies, it animates as if the animate dead spell were cast upon it. The resultant creature may be controlled by the arch necromancer but applies against his hd allowance for controlling undead. Both effects are removed on a successful use of remove curse on the recipient. This ability costs one 5th level slot.
Essence Mastery: The arch necromancer can manipulate the essence of other undead, slowing them down or bolstering them beyond their means. As a melee touch attack, an arch necromancer can affect an undead as per the slow spell. It lasts 5 rounds and allows no save. Alternatively, he may use this ability to improve an undead, as a melee touch attack, he can grant an undead a +2 profane bonus to attack and damage rolls as well as saving throws and to turn resistance. This lasts 5 rounds also.
Arch Necromancer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class[/table]
Necromancy has always been the black sheep of magic. Though nearly every hedge wizard has a scare or false life secreted away in their spellbook, very few ever attain the might and power that this most misunderstood school holds. For those few, the mysteries of life and death unravel, bending rules, and rewriting what we know about the beyond.
Hit Die: d4
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w229/minx_summerstorm/Necromancer.jpg
Requirements
To qualify to become an Arch Necromancer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 15 ranks
Feats: Spell Focus (necromancy), Skill Focus (Knowledge (religion))
Spells: Ability to cast 7th level arcane spells of the necromancy school, including control undead, bestow curse and animate dead.
Class Skills
The arch necromancer's skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy, boneworking and embalming)(Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually)(Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int) and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the arch necromancer prestige class.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Arch Necromancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armour.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new arch necromancer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 7th level necromancy spells before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast 7th level necromancy spells before he became an arch necromancer, he is far too powerful anyway, and you should stop playing him.
Dark Knowledge: An arch necromancer learns forbidden lore best left unknown to mortal minds. She gains the opportunity to select a special ability from those described below by permanently eliminating one existing spell slot (she cannot eliminate a spell slot of higher level than the highest level spell she can cast). Each special ability has a minimum required spell slot level, as specified in its description.
An arch necromancer may choose to eliminate a spell slot of a higher level than is required to gain a type of dark knowledge.
Nether Frost (Su): The arch necromancer gains the ability to change arcane spell energy into an arcane rift to the negative energy plane, sucking away life and vigour. The rift is a melee touch attack that deals 1d8 points of cold and negative energy damage per class level of the arch necromancer, plus 1d8 points of cold and negative energy damage per level of the spell used to create the effect. This ability costs one 9th level spell slot.
Mort Flesh:The arch necromancer's body becomes gaunt and clammy, as if recently deceased. He gains a +4 racial bonus to disease, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning and death effects. He also gains a 25% chance to ignore critical hits or sneak attacks. This ability costs one 7th level slot.
Undead Mastery: The arch necromancer can command lesser undead simply by force of will. When commanding or controlling undead using a necromancy spell, he may control 4 plus his arch necromancer level times his caster level of undead, rather than just 4 times his caster level. This ability costs one 7th level slot.
Soul Mastery: The arch necromancer can twist souls and spirits to do his bidding. When casting a spell with the curse descriptor, he may add an additional effect to a creature that fails their save. When that creature dies, it animates as if the animate dead spell were cast upon it. The resultant creature may be controlled by the arch necromancer but applies against his hd allowance for controlling undead. Both effects are removed on a successful use of remove curse on the recipient. This ability costs one 5th level slot.
Essence Mastery: The arch necromancer can manipulate the essence of other undead, slowing them down or bolstering them beyond their means. As a melee touch attack, an arch necromancer can affect an undead as per the slow spell. It lasts 5 rounds and allows no save. Alternatively, he may use this ability to improve an undead, as a melee touch attack, he can grant an undead a +2 profane bonus to attack and damage rolls as well as saving throws and to turn resistance. This lasts 5 rounds also.
Arch Necromancer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Dark Knowledge|+1 level of existing spellcasting class[/table]