User:Techpriest88

Hello Community! I'm a bit of an eccentric. As a long-time fan of both D&D and Warhammer40k, you'll probably see a bit of mixing of the genres from this humble tech-priest. I'm particularly drawn to the more artificial aspects of the default Dungeons & Dragons universe: undead, constructs, soul-powered doomsday devices. I can be a bit of a perfectionist and get a little wordy, but hopefully we'll still get along. Let's become good friends! Please post any notes you have for me on my talk page rather than here. Thanks in advance for your interest!

Obsession I: Necromancer

I'm gonna check if anyone else has drafted a sensible Necromancer class here on Dungeons. If not, I'm thinking of pursuing that myself. The Beastmaster Ranger is a good base to start from, I think, with the Shaman as an additional point of reference. Another idea I might pursue is an new Warlock pact for servants of Orcus. The pact boon might create a wraith-like hazard at the unfortunate victims position that lasts a round, reminiscent of the effects of Orcus' scepter.

Necromancer (4e Class)

"Any fool adept can create a horde of wretched shambling minions. A true master of undeath prefers quality over quantity."

Class Traits:

Role: Controller. You channel dark energies through your undead companion, shaping the battlefield with your terrifying magic.

Power Source: Shadow. Your power comes from an undersnding of life and death, a combination of mystic devotion and cold science. As such, you draw upon the same energies of the Shadowfell that animate most undead.

Key Abilities: Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom

Armour Proficiencies: Cloth

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged

Implements: Daggers, Orbs

Bonus to Defense: +2 Fortitude

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score

Hit Points per Level Gained: 5

Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier

Trained Skills: Arcana or Religion (your choice). From the class skills list below, chose four more trained skills at 1st level.

Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Religion (Int)

Build Options:

Class Features:

{{4e Class Traits |role=Controler. You channel dark energies, often through your undead companion, shaping the battlefield with your terrifying magic. |power_source=Shadow. Your power comes from an undersnding of life and death, a combination of mystic devotion and cold science. As such, you draw upon the same energies of the Shadowfell that animate most undead. |abilities=Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom |armor=Cloth |weapons=Simple melee, simple ranged |implements=Dagger, [[Orb, Arcane Implement (4e Equipment)|Orb |defense=+2 Fortitude |level_1_hp=12 |hp_per_level=5 |healing_per_day=6 |surgeability=Constitution |auto_skills=Arcana or Religion |#_of_skills=four |skills=Arcana (Int), Dungeoneering (Wis), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Wis), Religion (Int) |builds=Cursing Necromancer, Bolstering Necromancer |features= }}

Necromancers seek to master the secrets of undeath by studying the nature of both mortality and magic. They are masters of the forces governing life and death, using their expertise to tap into the true potential of their undead companions. Perhaps they have a great many minions - fruits of their experimentation thusfar, but they are quick to realize the benefits of subtlety in a world hostile to their Dark Arts.
   You were entranced by the secrets of mortality and the possibilities offered by undeath. The forbidden lore that would repulse another is your bread and butter. Perhaps you aspire to command an army of undead and secure a realm of your own. Or do you wish to join their ranks as an Archlich?
   Whatever your goals, you have much to learn. You've gathered a band of adventurers around yourself - a rare bunch who can tollerate your taboo obsession. Will you achieve your dreams? Or will fate catch you in its crosshairs, just another corpse to be animated by your peers?

Creating a Necromancer

The necromancer has two basic builds to start: the cursing necromancer and the bolstering necromancer. Necromancers rely upon Constitution for their attacks. Wisdom aids their curses, while Intelligence aids their companion-centric powers and AC.

I'll work on this more a little later... (gonna describe build options here.)

Necromancer Class Features

You have the following class features.

Undead Mastry

You gain an undead companion, chosen from one of these categories: Skeleton, Wraith, Zombie.

More to come later...

Ritual Casting

You gain the Ritual Caster feat (PH 200) as a bonus feat, allowing you to use magical rituals.

Undead Companions

Skeleton Statistics

Ability Scores: Strength 14, Constitution 12, Dexterity 16, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 12, Charisma 6

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 Squares

Defense: AC 12 + level, Fortitude 12 + level, Reflex 12 + level, Will 10 + level

Hit Points: 12 + 8 per level

Attack Bonus: Level + 4

Melee Basic Attack: Claw; level + 4 vs. AC; 1d8 + Dexterity modifier damage.

Opportunity Attacks: A skeleton gains a +2 bonus to the attack roll when making an opportunity attack.

Trained Skills: Endurance, Perception

Wraith Statistics

Ability Scores: Strength 4, Constitution 12, Dexterity 14, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 12, Charisma 16

Size: Medium

Speed: fly 6 Squares (hover), phasing

Defense: AC 12 + level, Fortitude 10 + level, Reflex 12 + level, Will 12 + level

Hit Points: 8 + 4 per level

Insubstantial: A wraith has insubstantial.

Attack Bonus: Level + 2

Melee Basic Attack: Shadow Touch; level + 2 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage.

Combat Advantage: When a wraith has combat advantage against a target, it deals extra necrotic damage equal to 1d6 per tier.

Trained Skills: Perception, Stealth

Zombie Statistics

Ability Scores: Strength 16, Constitution 14, Dexterity 12, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 12, Charisma 6

Size: Medium

Speed: 5 Squares

Defense: AC 12 + level, Fortitude 14 + level, Reflex 10 + level, Will 10 + level

Hit Points: 16 + 10 per level

Attack Bonus: Level + 2

Melee Basic Attack: Slam; level + 2 vs. AC; 1d12 + Strength modifier damage.

Grabbing: Targets grabbed by a zombie take a -5 penalty on checks made to escape.

Trained Skills: Athletics, Endurance

Companions logically capable of carrying weapons may make basic attacks with them instead (ie. skeletons and zombies, but not wraiths).

Animate Undead Companion (4e Ritual)

The remains stand and stare at you with unnatural cunning, prepared to serve and fight at your direction.

Level: 1	Component Cost: 50gp
Category: Restoration	Market Price: None
Time: 4 hours	Key Skill: Arcana (no check)
Durration: Instantaneous

This ritual allows you to animate a suitable humanoid corpse as an undead companion. It may only be used by a Necromancer with the Undead Mastry class feature and only if his/her previous companion has been destroyed or dismissed.
   The undead companion may be either a zombie or skeleton, at the casters option (and as the corpse allows), and counts as a new creature. The following circumstances may apply:

• You must use a medium-sized humanoid corpse as an additional component cost. The remains must be sufficiently intact to produce the desired companion (ie. mostly whole for a zombie, at least skeletal for a skeleton, of negotiable quality for a wraith).
• Your new undead companion suffers the equivalent of a death penalty (see the Raise Dead ritual, PH 311) until you have reached 3 milestones. It takes some time for the animating energies to solidify.
• The component cost increases to 500gp at paragon tier and 5,000gp at epic tier. You learn new techniques to strengthen your undead companion as your grow in power (it still uses the same statistics).

Obsession II: Lich

Before i begin, i will admit that this section is influenced a bit by Harry Potter. ~hangs head in shame~ However, even the silliest novels/movies/games/what-have-you can be brutally harvested for their more useful conceptual organs, and that's precisely what i intend to do.

Lich Phylactery (variant)

A lich's phylactery is imbued with an imprint of his spirit, binding his soul to the object. If a lich's body is destroyed, his soul does not depart into the Shadowfell - as is the custom of disembodied souls - but is instead drawn to his phylactery, the beacon for his rebirth. A side-effect of this imprinting is that the phylactery has a mind of its own... after a fashion.

A phylactery's psyche mirrors that of its creator. While they do not share knowlege, the two are inexorably linked, causing them to seek the same goals, think the same way, and otherwise be really great friends. A lich who touches his phylactery can commune with it, sharing an alarming quantity of knowledge. The lich is aware of its surroundings while doing so, incurring no penalties, but can take no other actions during the round in which it does so, other than to make Perception check and knowledge checks. Any knowledge checks made when in contact with the phylactery recieve a +2 bonus as though successfully aided by an ally.

A phylactery that is discovered by adventurers or passers-by may find itself in a precarious situation, for most people, should they discover it's true nature, would immediately destroy it - or worse. An Arcana or Religion check against a DC equal to the lich's level + 15 reveals the true nature of a phylactery. It can commnunicate with anyone coming into contact with it in much the same manner as an artefact would and often often tries to fool anyone finding it into furthering its own agenda (it has the same bonuses to skill checks as the lich and will likely make frequent use of it's Bluff skill).

Phylactery Ideas for DMs

A tome of arcane knowledge could make a fine phylactery. A sly lich might hide the magical phrases scribed in blood by using a Secret Page ritual (PH 311), making discerning it's true nature that much more difficult. The Arcana or Religion check could not be made unless the hidden script is found, however, a canny adventurer might suspect that the sinister talking tome is more than it appears and guess it's nature without finding the missing pages.

A paranoid lich (which is to say, all of them) might surround his phylactery with Eyes of Warding, using it as the focus for the Eyes (a expensive ruby brightens up any phylactery after all). As heroes approach, the lich knows and calls the phylactery to safety using Drawmij's Instant Summons (liches can cheat and summon a phylactery, too... they're just that good), all while the alarm alerts minions who swarm them from hidden recesses. Snatching a moment's reprieve from the jaws of defeat.

Spellskin (4e Ritual)

Not every goal can be pursued in a dank cavern or dark fortress. Sometimes a powerful lich actually needs to socialize without causing a panic, and that's where this ritual comes in. Spellskin produces a mild force effect that simulates the feel of warm skin, backing it up with visual, tactile and olfactory illusions. It supports clothing, but crumbles under any sudden force, making it ineffective in any kind of combat encounter.

More details later...

Multiply Phylactery (4e Ritual)

Litches are very pragmatic beings, as a general rule. As such, they will "hedge their bets" whenever possible, so it's no wonder some of the most powerful liches have mastered an obscure ritual to duplicate their phylactery. The duplicates need not be identical and often seem mundane or harmless as a means to avoid detection. This has the additial benefit of allowing a lich to feel more secure when using his phylactries as tools to influence others and further his agenda in the wider world.

Details to come later...

Phylactery Binding (4e Ritual)

Coming soon...