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Quote Originally Posted by Xul


With the All Worldstone gone, we cannot return life to the Sanctuary. And fate has yielded its reward: a new world to call home. We live among its people now, hiding in plain sight, but watching over them in secret, waiting, protecting. I have witnessed their capacity for courage, and though we are worlds apart, like us, there's more to them than meets the eye. I am Master Necromancer Xul, keeper of the balance, and I send this message to any surviving Priests of Rathma taking refuge among the worlds. We are here. We are waiting.

TN Human Necromancer 6

Spoiler: Tables
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Stats
Abilities Initial 4th Total
STR 10 10
DEX 14 14
CON 16 16
INT 17 1 18
WIS 9 9
CHA 8 8

Build
Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
1st Necromancer 1 0 2 0 2 24: {+4} Concentration: 4; {+4} Knowledge (arcana): 4; {+2 CC} Knowledge (dungeoneering): 1; {+2 CC} Knowledge (local): 1; {+2 CC} Knowledge (nature): 1; {+4 CC} Knowledge (religion): 2; {+2 CC} Knowledge (planes): 1; {+4} Spellcraft: 4; Spell Focus (necromancy) (H), Corpsecrafter (1) Skeleton Mastery
2nd Necromancer 2 1 3 0 3 6: {+1} Concentration: 5; {+1} Knowledge (arcana): 5; {+1 CC} Knowledge (dungeoneering): 1.5; {+1 CC} Knowledge (local): 1.5; Knowledge (nature): 1; {+1 CC} Knowledge (religion): 2.5; Knowledge (planes): 1; {+1} Spellcraft: 5;
3rd Necromancer 3 2 3 1 3 6: {+1} Concentration: 6; {+1} Knowledge (arcana): 6; {+1 CC} Knowledge (dungeoneering): 2; Knowledge (local): 1.5; {+1 CC} Knowledge (nature): 1.5; {+1 CC} Knowledge (religion): 3; Knowledge (planes): 1; {+1} Spellcraft: 6; Destruction Retribution (3)
4th Necromancer 4 3 4 1 4 7: {+1} Concentration: 7; {+1} Knowledge (arcana): 7; Knowledge (dungeoneering): 2; Knowledge (local): 1.5; {+1 CC} Knowledge (nature): 2; {+1 CC} Knowledge (religion): 3.5; Knowledge (planes): 1; {+1} Spellcraft: 7; {+2} Collector of Stories;
5th Necromancer 5 3 4 1 4 7: {+1} Concentration: 8; {+1} Knowledge (arcana): 8; Knowledge (dungeoneering): 2; {+1 CC} Knowledge (local): 2; {+1 CC} Knowledge (nature): 2.5; {+1 CC} Knowledge (religion): 4; {+1 CC} Knowledge (planes): 1.5; {+1} Spellcraft: 8; Collector of Stories;
6th Necromancer 6 4 5 2 5 7: {+1} Concentration: 9; {+1} Knowledge (arcana): 9; Knowledge (dungeoneering): 2; {+2 CC} Knowledge (local): 3; {+1 CC} Knowledge (nature): 3; Knowledge (religion): 4; {+1 CC} Knowledge (planes): 2; {+1} Spellcraft: 9; Collector of Stories; Tomb-Tainted Soul (6)

Epic Feats
Fearsome Necromancy (E1)
Sickening Grasp (E2)
Sudden Extend (E3)
Greater Spell Focus (necromancy) (E4)
Knowledge Devotion (E5)
Nimble Bones (E6)
Weapon Finesse (E7)
Necromantic Presence (E8)
Necromantic Might (E9)
Hardened Flesh (E10)

Spells per Day
Level Class 1st 2nd 3rd
1st Necromancer 1 2+1
2nd Necromancer 2 2+1
3rd Necromancer 3 3+1
4th Necromancer 4 3+1 1+1
5th Necromancer 5 4+1 2+1
6th Necromancer 6 4+1 2+1 1+1

Spell Known
Level Class 1st 2nd 3rd
1st Necromancer 1 Bone Armor; Raise Skeleton
2nd Necromancer 2
3rd Necromancer 3 Amplify Damage
4th Necromancer 4 Poison Dagger
5th Necromancer 5 Teeth Corpse Explosion
6th Necromancer 6 Raise Skeleton Mage


Spoiler: Highlights
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All enemies of humanity, come and bring your bones to me!
- Xul, Master Necromancer.

Levels 1-3. On these levels Xul isn't so powerful. His main weapon now is his raised skeletons. Not very powerful in base with Corpsecrafter and Destruction Retribution feats they could take the enemy by numbers and even being destroyed make some damage for the enemy. But with every level their usefulness is getting smaller and smaller even with help of Amplify Damage curse.

Levels 4-6. On the 4th level Xul learns the spell Poison Dagger and it becomes his new main weapon. Not ending poison and now better Bone Armor let Xul be a competent and dangerous melee combatant.
With 6th level and Tomb-Tainted Soul feat spell Raise Skeleton getting new "life" - now Skeletons are not only abrasive for enemy blades, but also healbots for Xul!
6th level is also significant, because Xul achieves 3rd level of spells and gets Raise Skeleton Mage. Skeleton mages are better version of regular Skeletons. With ranged poison attack they are less vulnerable, have greater damage potential and if die guarantee heal Xul and other skeletons.

Epic Feats. I can categorize epic feats in the three parts: feats that improve Xul's skeletons, feats that improve Xul's poison and feats that improve Xul's attacks.
In skeletons' favor work feats of Corpsecrafter line, Necromantic Presence and Necromantic Might.
For poison - Fearsome Necromancy, Greater Spell Focus and Sudden Extend, these feats improve DC and duration of Poison Dagger as well as debuff enemies with the fear.
Weapon Finesse and Knowledge Devotion add some bonuses to Xul's dagger's attack bonus and damage.
Plus, Sickening Grasp improves both skeletons and poison increasing spells' duration and of course Xul can use Sickening Grasp itself.


Spoiler: Issues
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D&D books for Diablo II are very poorly written. Rules as Written are contradictory or incomplete and can't work without the DM's decision in places.
Raise Skeleton. Spell's description says 1 skeleton/level up to 10. Necromancer's Skeleton Mastery says "two skeletons (instead of normal one - this is ability effect) for every five levels". What is true?
Raise Skeleton Mage. What mages exactly are raised? There is no monster with this name in the Diablerie book. Even if we look at the next book - To Hell and Back, there is a monster category with this name consisting of four different skeleton mages. It's good I need the least one - Returned Mage and its poison.
Both Raise spells. It is reasonable to rule that skeletons' and skeleton mages' power increase with increasing CL. Maybe they can advance in HD or Necromancer could raise a more powerful version of undead (Returned instead of Skeleton, Bone Warrior instead of Returned and so on), but RAW is silent about this.
Both Raise spells. Again. I think you understand these spells aren't actually "summons" and (Summoning) after names is reference to the original PC game and, for Summoning, indication which spells will end these spells immediately. Is this important? Actually, yes. If these spells aren't summons, what will happen with skeletons when duration expires (or Xul uses another summoning spell)? It can't be "sending back to where it came from." So, should I think skeletons are just destroyed? If yes, then Destruction Retribution should activate by it. Sounds good. Up to 14d6* one-time negative energy damage with one first level spell!
*- Xul's CL for necro spells is 7 and Skeleton Mastery doubles amount of skeletons. 14 medium creatures could surround one medium creature all being within 10 ft from it.
Bone Armor's hit points. I don't know what we have here. In the original game Bone Armor absorbs some amount of damage instead of Necromancer, working as temporary hp. But here it can be an overly bold assumption.
Poison Dagger's poison. I think it should be Injury type, but it isn't specified actually, but said "successful hit (with dagger) may poison a living foe" which can be interpreted as "any hit, including touch attack hit." I don't want open this can of worms, but if you'll use Xul, you can ask your DM about it.
Returned Mage. I used last version of this monster - from book Diablo II: To Hell and Back. It has differ from original Returned Mage from Diablo II: Diablerie. Its poison bolt not only makes 2d6 damage on contact, but also poisons target for another 2d6 (with Fort save DC 12). Plus, this version of the monster has advancement line, but it isn't very important if DM didn't decide opposite.
Updating Skeletons to 3.5 redaction. Only thing that should be updated is SQ "half damage from piercing/slashing." It's clearly should be converted into DR 5/bludgeoning.


Spoiler: Books
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Necromancer class and his spells are found in the Diablo II: Diablerie book.
Skeleton and Skeleton mage are taken from Diablo II: To Hell and Back.
Corpsecrafter feat line, Necromantic Might, Necromantic Presence and Tomb-Tainted Soul feats are from Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead.
Fearsome Necromancy and Sickening Grasp are founded in the Complete Mage.
Spell Focus and its Greater version are located in PHB.
Sudden Extend - from Complete Arcane.
Knowledge Devotion - from Complete Champion.
And Collector of Stories skill trick are from Complete Scoundrel.