Necromancy Spells

[Stratovarius]

Create Zombie
Necromancy
Level: Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round

You point at a creature in range, necromantic energies curling up to summon a zombie from the ground in a square adjacent to the target. If adjacent to an enemy, the zombie attacks (Slam +3 to hit, Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.) If adjacent to an ally, it defends the ally to the best of its abilities (ally gets +1 AC).
This spell’s duration increases by 1 round when you reach 5th level (2 rounds), 11th level (3 rounds), and 17th level (4 rounds). You can direct the zombie(s) to move up to their speed and attack as a bonus action in rounds 2+.

Undead Fodder
Necromancy
Level: 1st
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute

You summon a zombie or skeleton to your side, the creature appearing anywhere within range. On each of your turns, you can use your action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you create one additional skeleton or zombie for each slot level above 1st.

Sacrificial Minion
Necromancy
Level: 1st
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You swap positions with a single undead creature you have summoned. If the undead is Large or larger, you can occupy any of the squares that make up its space. The undead must in turn occupy the square, or one of the squares, you previously occupied. You cannot use this maneuver if you or the undead would end up sharing the same space as another creature or an impassable terrain feature, such as a wall. If your undead occupies a larger space than you do, you choose his final position according to the guidelines given above. This can be used in response to an attack or spell, but must be used before you know the results of any rolls. That attack now targets the undead. A spell only targets the undead if you are no longer a legal target for the spell.

Claws of Poison
Necromancy
Level: 2nd
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute

Any time a summoned undead under your control successfully attacks an opponent, if the opponent is a creature other than an undead, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 round.

Foetid Hunger
Necromancy
Level: 3rd
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute

You summon a ghoul to your side, the creature appearing anywhere within range. On each of your turns, you can use your action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you create one additional ghoul for each slot level above 3rd.

[GalacticAxekick]

Though undead-themed, these are all conjurations. Fun conjurations! But conjurations, and not necromancies.

Create Zombie, Undead Fodder and Foetid Hunger don't raise the dead. They conjure minions, which only happen to be undead. They'd make more sense to me if they thematically resembled Unseen Servant or the Conjure X spells.

Sacrificial Minion is a teleportation spell you've arbitrarily constrained to undead minions. Why not any willing creature? Why not unwilling creatures (with a save) or even unfixed objects?

The one exception is Claws of Poison. It makes sense that you might raise especially noxious dead with powerful necromancy.

[Ninja_Prawn]

So, these are quite nice. The balance looks ok... though I can see some DMs having a problem with a summoning cantrip. At least none of them can be abused via Spell Mastery. Incidentally, have you seen these? They're very much on the same theme.

Though undead-themed, these are all conjurations. Fun conjurations! But conjurations, and not necromancies.

Create Zombie, Undead Fodder and Foetid Hunger don't raise the dead. They conjure minions, which only happen to be undead. They'd make more sense to me if they thematically resembled Unseen Servant or the Conjure X spells.

I agree, though my suggestion would be to make it so you have to cast the spells on medium humanoid corpses, à la proper necromancy spells like animate dead.

Sacrificial Minion is a teleportation spell you've arbitrarily constrained to undead minions. Why not any willing creature? Why not unwilling creatures (with a save) or even unfixed objects?

Probably have to increase the spell's level for that but, yeah, this is a conjuration effect. It's basically a rewrite of Benign Transposition, which is actually part of the conjurer subclass...

The one exception is Claws of Poison. It makes sense that you might raise especially noxious dead with powerful necromancy.

Mhm. Though I can also see an argument for it being a transmutation, because you're basically enhancing your minions in the same vein as elemental weapon, enhance ability or haste (all transmutations). It feels wrong that it targets 'Self' though... If it was me I'd have written it to target X many (maybe 6) minions within 60 feet.

[GalacticAxekick]

Which reminds me! I wrote up some necromancy spells myself a while ago. I can't embed the link in text because I'm on mobile, but here it is:

http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HkQUYOHRql

[Ninja_Prawn]

Which reminds me! I wrote up some necromancy spells myself a while ago. I can't embed the link in text because I'm on mobile, but here it is:

http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HkQUYOHRql

You know, I'm really not sure the temporary permanent hit points thing in animate living works. I assume they're meant to lose hit points when the spell ends? What if you re-cast it a second before it ends? It just doesn't seem right, especially when temporary hit points already exist for this exact situation. I'd also say that curing conditions is overpowered in a cantrip, let alone one that already provides most of the benefits of false life.

Numb is good. Very warlock-y, I think. Is the grappling in stir dead a 'free' bonus? You should probably explain how/under what circumstances it comes about in the text of the spell. I like all the first-level spells though, they're very cool.

[GalacticAxekick]

You know, I'm really not sure the temporary permanent hit points thing in animate living works. I assume they're meant to lose hit points when the spell ends? What if you re-cast it a second before it ends? It just doesn't seem right, especially when temporary hit points already exist for this exact situation. I'd also say that curing conditions is overpowered in a cantrip, let alone one that already provides most of the benefits of false life.

The temporary permament hit points are lost when the spell ends. You can absolutely cast it again to prevent this. The intention is that because it requires concentration, you cannot heal multiple creatures or stack the healing.

Temporary hit points wouldn't do because an intended function of the cantrip is stabilizing a dying party member and returning them to the fight. It's like animating the not-quite-dead.

I do, however, see that it's overpowered. Would it be reasonable if the cantrip's only function was to temporarily relieve a single target of certain conditions? Or if it's only function was to keep a creature active at 0 HP using temp hit points?

Numb is good. Very warlock-y, I think. Is the grappling in stir dead a 'free' bonus? You should probably explain how/under what circumstances it comes about in the text of the spell. I like all the first-level spells though, they're very cool.

The stirred dead can be commanded to take actions. They can use the attack action to grapple just like any other humanoid. I'll try to clarify that in the text.

And thanks! Any thoughts on the higher level spells?

[Ninja_Prawn]

I do, however, see that it's overpowered. Would it be reasonable if the cantrip's only function was to temporarily relieve a single target of certain conditions? Or if it's only function was to keep a creature active at 0 HP using temp hit points?

Eh, I still think you should stay away from conditions. Suppressing a condition for a minute (or as long as you keep casting the cantrip) is functionally no different from curing it 99% of the time, and that's the whole point of lesser restoration (which also doesn't work on stunned, as it goes). Well, I guess concentration is a cost, but it's a relatively cheap one in this case.

Any thoughts on the higher level spells?

None worth sharing? Haunt dead seems fine; haunt living isn't to my taste, but I can't think of anything insightful to say on either.

[GalacticAxekick]

Noted! I'll try to nerf the cantrip while maintaining the theme of using necromancy to suppress illness.