REBORN! The Complete Necromancer Project Brainstorm v.5

[katarl]

IT LIVES!

Necromancers get a raw deal in dnd. Sure, we have LM's corpsecrafting tree, and HoH's dread necromancer, but considering it's such a staple of fantasy, necromancy really doesn't pull it's weight. It's the forgotten school in some ways, a few choice spells and tomb-tainted options are often the only taste characters get of the forbidden arts.

But that's not the kind of necromancy we know, the kind that Faustus could use to uncover all the world's secrets, or the Black Cauldrons' ability to conquer entire nations under the weight of a necromantic army. Novels and movies are replete with the hordes of the shambling dead, of powerful necromancers and forbidden secrets. Clearly we could do a little better than animate dead.

That's why I'd like to start the Complete Necromancer Project, to combine the very best necromancy homebrew into one big project, with the universal aim of making necromancers a little bit more necromantic, and to move away from the idea that if you want to control the hordes of undead, you just have to be a cleric.

***

I have a few ideas of my own. In true 'complete' series style, I have 3 base classes lined up, using the essence of life and death to transform, leech the life out of their enemies or master the mysteries of soul and spirit. I also want to update the corpsecrafting system, to organise the traits into schools, and simplify it to be workable in mainstream games.



Submit your ideas, your homebrew monsters, spells, feats, skills and classes, or comment on those already posted, so we can refine and balance them. If you have any questions, feel free to pm me.

[katarl]

HELPFUL SITES

ATHAS

Contains rules for defiler necromancers, thinking zombies, dozens of new undead, a half-dozen undead templates and the excellent Royal Animator, for free on pdf.

Tome of Necromancy

It's highly opinionated, but K's Tome of Necromancy has a wealth of material for the prospective necromancer. Just don't expect your dm to allow it all.

Corpsecrafting Deluxe

My level based corpsecrafting rules.

Ultimate Corpsecrafting

My third, and probably best, foray into the corpsecrafting world.

Ravenloft: Fraternity of Shadows

Not recent, but the undead sea scrolls may be of interest.

Complete Lich

A set of rules by Maerok here on GitP to help develop lich characters. Contains lots of feats.

Dread Spells

Dozens of new spells, and an improved fear system.

Damn Good Shop of the Damned

Rounded off with lots of evil-specific magic items for characters.

Unquiet Twilight

The thirteenth tome of battle discipline. Fairly decent.

White Necromancy

Non-evil necromancy. Like anyone really needs that.

Why are undead evil?

A discussion on undead and alignment.

A Unique way of looking at necromancer

A discussion of necromantic theory. Geeky in the extreme- well worth looking into.

Ultimate Power

An unfinished ultimate necromancer class from Szatany.

Lich Progression

From the good people at wotc.

Necroscope

A rather uninspiring core class.

Demi Undead

And an equally uninspiring, but still mentionable prestige class.

Shadow Necromancy

A wiki post on undead illusions.

Revised Necromancer Handbook

Help with optimising your new necromancer.

Alcarin

A good collection of necromantic and ordinary homebrewed classes, spells, items, feats and monsters.

Dread Necromancer Handbook

Probably the best necromaster class yet, help is at hand for your dread necromancer.

Pimp my Zombie!

1001 ways they envision zombies in 4e.

Planewalker

The Dustmen faction. Yep, undead sanitation engineers.

Undead Limbs

For those of you who want their own 'Thing'.

Nerull Necrowarrior

PrC

The Fiend and Necromancer show

Chat stuff .

Undeath and it's Beauty

Another necromancy project. Not bad stuff.

The Hobgoblin Boneripper

Mediocre fluff, but a powerful and decently balanced class. See if your dm allows you to ignore the racial requirement.

***

BOOKS

Hollowfaust: City of Necromancers

A scarred land-based book, lots of fluff and some decent material.

Libris Mortis

A wotc product, contains lots of undead and some really good rules.

Heroes of Horror

Contains the obligatory Dread Necromancer, an excellent base class.

Encylopaedia Arcane: Beyond the Grave, Necromancy

A mongoose publishing book, not amazing, but some interesting discussion of necromantic principles.

Complete Mage

Contains the Master of Undeath feat, and discusses the undead master archetype.

Unearthed Arcana

Contains the undead master and undead minion special rules.

Magic of Incarnum

Necrocarnum and stuff.

Thee Compleat Librum ov Gar'Udok Necromantic Artes

A fairly decent third party book with really bad medieval-style spelling.

Dry Land: Empires of the Dragon Sands

A mediocre, but packed third party book with rules on true mummies and embalming.

Dragonmech

Undead mechs for all, plus 'meat racks' and steaming zombies.

more to come.

[katarl]

reserved for later 2

[katarl]

WotC Necromancy Spells
courtesy of seeker95

Aboleth Curse
Affliction
Animate Dead (M)
Animate Dead Familiar (XP)
Animate Dread Warrior (XP)
Animate Legion (M)
Arrow of Bone (M)
Ashen Union
Astral Projection (M)
Aura of Terror
Avascular Mass
Avasculate
Awaken Undead (XP)
Backbiter (F)
Barghest's Feast (M)
Bestow Curse
Greater Bestow Curse
Black Mulching
Blackfire
Blackwater Taint
Blade of Blood
Blight
Blindness/Deafness
Blood Snow
Bone Chill
Bone Tattoo
Bonefiddle (F)
Foe's Burning Blood
Burrowing Bony Digits
Cause Fear
Chill Touch
Choking Sands
Circle of Death (M)
Clone (M) (F)
Command Undead
Contagion
Mass Contagion
Control Undead
Create Greater Undead (M)
Create Undead (M)
Curse of Impending Blades
Mass Curse of Impending Blades
Dance of Ruin
Death Armor (F)
Death Grimace
Death Throes
Depression
Desiccate
Mass Desiccate
Desiccating Bubble
Disrupt Undead
Greater Disrupt Undead
Doom Scarabs
Ebon Ray of Doom
Ectoplasmic Enhancement
Elemental Shroud
Energy Drain
Energy Ebb
Enervating Breath
Enervation
Evil Glare
Eyebite
False Life
Fear
Feign Death
Finger of Death
Fleshshiver
Gelid Blood
Gentle Repose (M)
Ghost Storm
Ghoul Gauntlet
Ghoul Glyph (M)
Ghoul Touch
Graymantle
Grim Revenge
Gutwrench
Halt Undead
Haunt Shift
Healing Touch
Heart of Stone (F) (XP)
Heartfreeze
Heat Leech
Hide Life (XP)
Horrid Wilting
Imperious Glare
Incorporeal Enhancement
Incorporeal Nova
Junglerazer
Kiss of the Vampire (M)
Last Judgment
Leech Ghost Skill (M)
Leech Undeath
Life Bolt
Liquid Pain
Magic Jar (F)
Miasma of Entropy
Mind Poison
Mindfrost
Mummify
Necrosurgery
Necrotic Awareness (F)
Necrotic Bloat (F)
Necrotic Burst (F)
Necrotic Cyst (F)
Necrotic Domination (F)
Necrotic Empowerment (F)
Necrotic Eruption (F)
Necrotic Scrying (F)
Necrotic Skull Bomb
Necrotic Termination (F) (XP)
Necrotic Tumor (F)
Negative Energy Burst
Negative Energy Ray
Negative Energy Wave
Night's Caress
Opalescent Glare
Orb of Dancing Death
Orb of Negative Energy
Parching Touch
Plague Carrier
Plague of Undead (M)
Preserve Organ
Ray of Depletion
Ray of Enfeeblement
Ray of Entropy
Ray of Exhaustion
Ray of Sickness
Ray of Weakness
Rebuking Breath
Revive Undead (M)
Righteous Glare
Scare
Shadow Curse
Shadow Shield
Shivering Touch
Lesser Shivering Touch
Shriveling
Shroud of Undeath
Sinsabur's Baleful Bolt
Skeletal Guard (M)
Skull Snare
Skull Watch (F)
Slow Consumption
Soul Bind (F)
Soul Charge (F)
Soul Shackles
Spawn Screen
Spectral Hand
Spectral Touch
Spider Poison
Spirit Worm
Spiritwall
Steal Life
Sticks And Stones
Stolen Breath
Stop Heart
Sunstroke
Sword of Darkness (M)
Symbol of Death (M)
Symbol of Fear (M)
Symbol of Pain (M)
Symbol of Weakness (M)
Thalassemia
Thin Air
Threshold of Unlife
Touch of Fatigue
Transfusion
Undead Couduit
Undead Lieutenant
Undead Torch
Undeath to Death (M)
Vampiric Touch
Veil of Undeath (M)
Visage of the Dead
Wail of the Banshee
Waves of Cold (M)
Waves of Exhaustion
Waves of Fatigue
Wither
Wrack
Wracking Touch

[Maerok]

v Signature.

[katarl]

There, i've added your sig to the references, is there any particular piece you'd like to submit?

[Deathtouched]

Um, okay, I'm not sure what I'm doing here...
I read most of the stuff and the Complete Lich etc., but I'm not sure what I should do. You asked me earlier if I wanted to submit my FN class, and I'd like to, but uh...
I don't know what I should be doing...

Anyways, this is an interesting project you have, and I agree that necromancers need some boosting. Um, my brain just died... Nice thread...

[Maerok]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61372
^ Animate Limb spell

[Vadin]

Just some ideas,

an Undead bolstering/temporarily creating ToB discipline/class?

some Undead soulmelds/meldshapers?

various and sundry states and types of Undead? That is, more than just "Undead" to describe skeletons, zombies, vampires, shades, and wights. For example, skeletons are more dead than alive. vampires are more alive than dead. Intelligent undead tend to be less dead. Unintelligent undead are often quite dead. Some are incorporeal when they're dead. Some aren't. They're very different, and besides being "kinda alive but not really" there isn't anything to tie them together. This could be fixed perhaps?

20 level classes that slowly transform a character more and more Undead? More than just a monster/template LA class, a class that lets characters choose, designing and becoming their own unique brand of undead as they advance.

[katarl]

I don't know what I should be doing...

Just post a link to your class, or copy and paste it onto a post. It's a collection of necromantic homebrew, to make it easier for necromancer players, and also to discuss and post new things.

an Undead bolstering/temporarily creating ToB discipline/class?

Such a thing exists! The Thirteenth way, unquiet twilight.

some Undead soulmelds/meldshapers?

er, necrocarnum?

various and sundry states and types of Undead? That is, more than just "Undead" to describe skeletons, zombies, vampires, shades, and wights. For example, skeletons are more dead than alive. vampires are more alive than dead. Intelligent undead tend to be less dead. Unintelligent undead are often quite dead. Some are incorporeal when they're dead. Some aren't. They're very different, and besides being "kinda alive but not really" there isn't anything to tie them together. This could be fixed perhaps?

Yes that is a bit wierd, K touched on that i think, with the dark minded template.

20 level classes that slowly transform a character more and more Undead? More than just a monster/template LA class, a class that lets characters choose, designing and becoming their own unique brand of undead as they advance.

The dread necro does that though, doesn't it?

^ Animate Limb spell

kewl.

[Parvum]

How blasphemous is the idea of a necromancer that focuses on... well... 'good stuff'? Puting off death (without reanimation), undoing wounds, whatnot...

[Mewtarthio]

You mean a healer?

[katarl]

A necromantic healer isn't too bad an idea, but you have to consider the role of the cleric, and not make them better healers than them.

[Vadin]

Such a thing exists! The Thirteenth way, unquiet twilight.

Ah.

er, necrocarnum?

The mechanics of necrocarnum are...awkward, at best. Things like undead souspark style melds, analogous to animate dead spells.

Yes that is a bit wierd, K touched on that i think, with the dark minded template.

An optional rule set might help. Intelligent undead become lifeless or gain it as a subtype, while mindless undead remain simply undead. There should be difference between the two if lifeless is a different type, and/or it should definitely grant more than just an intelligence score and the ability to gain class levels.

The dread necro does that though, doesn't it?

The dread necro just gains the undead subtype, unless I'm mistaken. I'm invisioning a class that gains undead and undead-esque abilities as it progresses, and gains more and more undead qualities as it progresses. For example, it might gain more and more fortification as it progresses, so it is eventually immune to critical hits. It also might pick from lots of spell-like abilities. It could eventually become like a vampire, a zombie, a mummy, or a wight. Not any of those exactly, but a customized composite character/monster that can have elements of each. Actual necromancers are rather plentiful, and this would be a way for people who don't want to play casters to get a taste of undead abilities.

[Hunter Noventa]

The dread necro just gains the undead subtype, unless I'm mistaken. I'm invisioning a class that gains undead and undead-esque abilities as it progresses, and gains more and more undead qualities as it progresses. For example, it might gain more and more fortification as it progresses, so it is eventually immune to critical hits. It also might pick from lots of spell-like abilities. It could eventually become like a vampire, a zombie, a mummy, or a wight. Not any of those exactly, but a customized composite character/monster that can have elements of each. Actual necromancers are rather plentiful, and this would be a way for people who don't want to play casters to get a taste of undead abilities.

The Necro gains a number of abilities from the undead type, and at 20th level becomes a lich for 'free'.

[Danu]

katarl, I thought I'd point out the Dread Necromancer Handbook. It's actually a pretty handy resource for any necromancer, especially so for d.necros.

[katarl]

The dread necro just gains the undead subtype, unless I'm mistaken. I'm invisioning a class that gains undead and undead-esque abilities as it progresses, and gains more and more undead qualities as it progresses. For example, it might gain more and more fortification as it progresses, so it is eventually immune to critical hits. It also might pick from lots of spell-like abilities. It could eventually become like a vampire, a zombie, a mummy, or a wight. Not any of those exactly, but a customized composite character/monster that can have elements of each. Actual necromancers are rather plentiful, and this would be a way for people who don't want to play casters to get a taste of undead abilities.

The Necro gains a number of abilities from the undead type, and at 20th level becomes a lich for 'free'.

Dread Necro was a very good class, but i could easily see the concept working for other undead, not zombies or wights (too little abilities to base a class on), but vampires, mummies, mohrgs would all work. I did start a dread necromancer class that tried to become an animus, with persuasive powers instead of charnel touch at one point, but nothing came of it.

katarl, I thought I'd point out the Dread Necromancer Handbook. It's actually a pretty handy resource for any necromancer, especially so for d.necros.

Like a goblin dropped in a Golgari vat, our list grows.

[MorkaisChosen]

A Good-aligned Necromancer class or feat would be interesting- either making some Good effects using negative energy (Smite the evil ones with negative energy) or a Grey Guard-style class that allows you to make Undead without it being evil.

[Maerok]

A Good-aligned Necromancer class or feat would be interesting- either making some Good effects using negative energy (Smite the evil ones with negative energy) or a Grey Guard-style class that allows you to make Undead without it being evil.

What kind of fun is that? :D

[katarl]

What kind of things do people want to have put into the Complete Necromancer?

[MorkaisChosen]

Negative-energy-wielding soul-ripping Evil-smiting baddasses as a PrC- "I eat your soul for Goodness!", sorta like FlayerMan.

[katarl]

Corpsecrafter [Corpsecrafter]

Benefit: You learn three traits from the list below, which you may apply to undead you create or animate using necromancy spells. These traits cost additional material components to apply, an additional 25gp/hit die per trait, and may have prerequisites for their use. Undead can support only so many traits, see table 1-01. You may take this feat multiple times, each time learning three different traits. Applying traits requires 1 hour of work on the corpse to affected.

Bodysnatcher [Corpsecrafter]

Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: You may temporarily add corpsecrafter traits to undead you create without needing to pay the extra material component cost. You may apply one trait you know to an undead you create or animate per two corpsecrafter feats you possess. This may not exceed the undead's maximum. The traits remain in effect for 1 hour, at which point they stop working, and the undead is destroyed by the negative energy leaving the creature. Applying these traits is a swift action.

Sewing Life [Corpsecrafter]

Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter, caster level 6
Benefit: You may combine corpses of the same size to create a larger and more powerful single corpse, which you may then animate. This costs 25gp per hit die of each corpse you wish to combine in material components. The hit die of the combined creatures is the first corpse's hit die, adding half of each donor's hit die.

Combining three corpses results in a larger undead, with the increased natural armour and natural attack damage appropriate to it's size. Once animated with a necromancy spell, it has all the weapon proficiencies, feats and subtypes the base bodies would have, and may have any natural attacks any of base bodies would have had. The corpsecraft limit is increased appropriately according to it's new hit die.

The strength score of the resulting creature is the highest strength of the base corpses plus the strength score of the next strongest -10. Each increase in size increases the strength of the resultant creature by the strength score of the next (3rd, 4th, 5th) strongest creature -10. The dexerity of the result creature is the highest dexerity of base corpses, -2 per size increase. You may add one corpse donor to the base corpse, plus another one per 2 corpsecrafter feats you possess.

Combining bodies requires 1 hour per body.

Imbued Necromancy [Corpsecrafter]

Prerequisite: Corpsecrafter; any item creation feat
Benefit: You may create undead with magical properties, as if they were items. You may treat the creatures' flesh as masterwork armour, their natural weapons as masterwork weapons and their body as an item for purposes of crafting. When the undead is the destroyed, the magic is lost.

Crafting in this way costs half the base price, but requires the item creation feat in question.

[munchlord]

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread...hlight=warrior
There ya go

[Vadin]

@munchlord: thanks! a very nice springboard.

Yes, something similar to the Necrotic Warrior of Nerull muchlord has presented, though not a PrC, more options, all 'aspects' active at once (like any respectable undead) and less specifically evil. Not good, perhaps, but I could certainly see a neutral character seeking unlife as a road to immortality and power (passing up lich due to its 'omgimsocrazy' side effect).

In other news, how many good undead are there? For example, using the corpsecrafting rules at present, an army of normal soldiers augmented by undead healers would be great. The undead are far more resilient than normal clerics and could easily gain things like fast healing to keep themselves alive to heal another day. Also, what alignment are undead created by good casters? Are they good?

[EDIT: Wow..I have a tendency to ramble...]

[munchlord]

@munchlord: thanks! a very nice springboard.


what alignment are undead created by good casters? Are they good?

Thank you for the credit, that PrC is encoroperated into my own setting (although with a sligthly different name and another god)
Speaking of the same setting, the good "necromancers" there is a cult that creates deathless creatures, some of them are akin to skeletons and zombies (the basic ones) some are quite different.

[katarl]

reserved for later.

[katarl]

no-one interested in posting links or material?

there must be hundreds of homebrew necromancers on the web.

[Vadin]

I think we were all waiting for you to fill in the 'reserved for later' post.

[smart thog]

I've got some stuff


The necromancer and fiend show Basicly, its car talk for undead and demons.

Undeath and its beauties Something A lot like what were doing

And some feats

Soul chilling spell (Metamagic)
Prerequisites- able to cast Enervation
Benefit- any spell you cast that inflicts negative levels can be cast as a soul chilling spell. A soul chilling spell has a 50% chance to deal a extra negative level whenever it deals negative levels. A soul chilling spell uses a spell slot of the spells normal level

Practiced turner
Prerequisites- able to turn/rebuke undead, extra turning
Benefit- you are treated as having four more levels in whichever class gives you turning/rebuking, but not more then you HD. (see practiced spellcaster, complete divine)

Enlarged hoard
Prerequisites- able to cast animate dead
Benefit-all undead you control by any means are treated as having one less hd for the purposes of controlling them for you only

Pimpedey necromancy (Epic)
Prerequisites- Dread Necromancer 21
Benefit- You learn all 1st level necromancy spells that a cleric and wizard may use, as though you gained them from advanced learning.
Special- you may take this feat up to eight more times, learning new necromancy spells for the level you gain (the second time is second level spells, third time is third level spells, and so on.)

[katarl]

Enlarged hoard
Prerequisites- able to cast animate dead
Benefit-all undead you control by any means are treated as having one less hd for the purposes of controlling them for you only

That's an interesting idea, mind if i make it a corpsecrafting feat?