Grimoire Necromancer (3.5e Class)

Author: Aarnott (talk) Date Created: August 10, 2010 Status: Working away at it Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Necromancer -- Diablo II Style

This class was designed with two goals in mind. The first was to simulate a Diablo II necromancer in D&D game terms. The second was to create a usable minion-based character for Grimoire games that puts a new spin on the defender role. I would like to think that this class succeeds at both goals (feel free to leave a message on the talk page if you have concerns about it falling short with either).

See http://classic.battle.net/diablo2exp/classes/necromancer.shtml for lots of information on the flavor of Diablo II necromancers.

Making a Necromancer

Necromancers are excellent defenders. Although the actual necromancers are just as squishy as any other spellcaster, they have minions to absorb damage and powerful curses to encourage their enemies to direct attacks at their minions. And that is really the way combat goes for them. They curse an enemy and arrange their minions to best defend them and/or their allies.

Abilities: Intelligence determines your DCs and your minions' AC. Charisma determines your skill with the teeth ability, boosts several of your curses, and determines your minions' bonus to attack rolls.

Races: Necromancy is an art practiced in even the most primitive of societies. No one race is more or less likely to be a necromancer.

Alignment: Any. Feel free to figure out flavor for a lawful good necromancer. The necromancer in Diablo II is probably somewhere close to that, after all.

Starting Gold: 3d4×10 gp (75 gp).

Starting Age: Complex

Table: The Necromancer

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Animate Dead, Curse, Teeth 1d4
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Curse, Poison Use
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Animate Dead (Skeletal Mage), Teeth 2d4
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Curse
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Animate Dead (Ghoul), Teeth 3d4
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Curse
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Bone Wall, Animate Dead (Corpse Fly), Teeth 4d4
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Curse
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Animate Dead (Blood Golem), Teeth 5d4
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Curse
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Corpse Explosion, Teeth 6d4
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Bone Armor, Curse
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Animate Dead (Shadow), Teeth 7d4
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Curse
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Bone Prison, Teeth 8d4
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Curse
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	Greater Corpse Explosion, Teeth 9d4
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Curse
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Poison Nova, Teeth 10d4
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Curse, Revive
Class Skills (3 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int) (any, taken separately), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int),

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the necromancer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Necromancers are proficient with light armor, shields, simple weapons, and scythes.

Animate Dead (Su): Necromancers can animate the dead. Go figure! You should begin play with a full set of minions, but otherwise, you can have 4 of any combination minions that you qualify for. Minions only have combat statistics (although they can be used out of combat to aid another on skill checks with a +0 bonus if their part of the task is very simple, such as pulling a rope). Use the following information to calculate your minions' combat statistics:

• Undead Type
• Attack bonus = Your HD + 1/4 your necromancer level + your Charisma modifier
• Damage = 1 + 1/2 your necromancer level
  • Minions do not roll dice for damage.
  • The damage is a single type of your choice, chosen on the creation of the minion (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing), unless otherwise noted.
• Base land speed = 30 ft.
• 1 hit point
• Counts as having a number of HD equal to your HD.
• AC = 10 + your HD + 1/4 your necromancer level + your Intelligence modifier
• Touch AC and flat-footed AC = 10 + 1/4 your necromancer level + your Intelligence modifier
• Fortitude save = Your fortitude save - 1
• Reflex save = Your reflex save - 1
• Will save = Your will save - 1
• Minions have Evasion and Mettle
• Minions cannot be affected by spells or abilities that enhance them (such as bull's strength).

The following is a list of the minions you can use (with their required class levels and statistic adjustments, if applicable).

Skeleton

• Use the statistics provided, unchanged.

Skeletal Archer

• Use your Will save -1 for its Reflex save.
• Reduce the other saves by 2 (in addition to the regular -1).
• Reduce its AC and flat-footed AC by 1 (but not its touch AC).
• Its attacks are a ranged attack that deals piercing damage with a range increment of 60 ft. (max range of 600 ft.).

Zombie

• Use your Will save for its Fortitude save.
• Increase its AC and flat-footed AC by 2.
• The first time its HP would be reduced to 0 during an encounter, it stays at 1 instead.
• Zombies can only take partial actions.

Skeletal Mage - required class level 3

• Do not add your HD to its attack rolls
• It makes a ranged touch attack (at close range) instead of a melee attack.
• Its damage type is one of cold, electricity, acid, or fire, chosen upon creation of the skeletal mage.

Ghoul - required class level 5

• It takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls.
• Its attack has a chance to sicken the foe for 1 round (DC is 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Intelligence modifier, Fortitude save).

Corpse Fly - required class level 7

• Use your Will save -1 for its Reflex save.
• It takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls.
• It takes a -3 penalty to damage (minimum 1 damage).
• It has a fly speed of 40 ft (perfect).
• Whenever it hits with an attack, it has a chance to aggravate a foe, giving the foe a -2 to attacks that do not include one of your Corpse Flies as part of the attack (DC is 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Intelligence modifier, Will save, mind-affecting).

Blood Golem - required class level 9

• It gains a +1 bonus to AC and flat-footed AC (but not touch AC).
• It uses your Will save -1 for its Fortitude save.
• It takes a -2 penalty to damage (minimum 1 damage).
• Whenever it damages an enemy, you heal 1 hp per 4 class levels to a maximum of 50% your maximum hp.

Shadow - required class level 13

• It is mildly-incorporeal (non-ghost touch attacks have a 50% miss chance, but non-magic attacks can still damage this creature)
• Do not add your HD to its attack rolls
• It makes a melee touch attack instead of a melee attack.
• It deals negative energy damage.
• It has a fly speed of 60 ft (perfect).
• It has 0 AC, 0 touch AC, and 0 flat-footed AC (attacks automatically hit if they can bypass the miss chance).

Minions do not threaten any area, unless an enemy is affected by the Alacrity curse (in which case they only threaten the area with regard to that enemy), but they can still attack enemies within their reach on your turn and may still benefit from flanking as if they threatened an area (they do not provide flanking, however). Furthermore, because they do not threaten any area, it is possible for enemies to freely move into and through their space without provoking attacks of opportunity; instead treat a space they occupy as difficult terrain. Allies do not treat their square as difficult terrain. Creatures can even end their movement in the same space as a minion. If the Alacrity curse is in place, the cursed creature treats minions as normal creatures and must tumble through their square and cannot occupy the same square unless they normally could do so.

You can command your minions as a free action on your initiative as long as you are mentally capable (you can control them when paralyzed, but not confused for example).

Minions cannot take any type of special action (such as tripping) unless otherwise noted. They can just attack or move, which is why a full statistic set is not necessary for them. If for any reason they need to make a die roll that is not provided in the statistics here, use your modifier. For example, you would use your modifier to oppose a trip check when one of your minions is the subject of a trip attempt.

Whenever one of your minions is destroyed, you take damage equal to 1/8th of your max hp (round up).

To create a new minion, you can spend a standard action to form the materials of a corpse within close range (possibly one you have just slain) into an undead minion of your choice. You cannot use a minion's body that has already been destroyed.

Curse (Su): At 1st level and every even level, you gain access to one of the following curses. The DC for a curse is equal to 10 + 1/2 your HD + 1/2 your Intelligence modifier. A target of a curse makes a saving throw immediately when they are cursed as well as at the start of their turn. A pass means that they are unaffected by the curse until their next turn, a failure means that they are affected by the curse until their next turn. Curses must be maintained (require additional saving throws each turn) by spending a swift action each round, unless otherwise noted, and an individual curse cannot be used until 3 rounds have passed since it was last in effect. Curses require a standard action to activate.

Curses come in 3 ranks: least, lesser, and greater. Each time you select a curse, you improve its rank by one step (you must meet any prerequisites listed in the curse description).

Alacrity (Su): You create a dizzy haze around your enemies, causing them to react more slowly to your minions.

Least: A single target creature within close range becomes threatened by your minions (your minions normally don't threaten squares). This effect does not allow a saving throw. Ranged minions still do not threaten an area.

Lesser, required class level 4: If a minion hits with an attack of opportunity against a creature that is taking a move action, the creature must make a Reflex save or else the remainder of its move action is halted (if it has a standard action left, it may use the standard action to continue moving, which may provoke new attacks of opportunity from other minions).

Greater, required class level 10: Your minions' reach is extended by 5ft. You may also target a number of creatures equal to 1/2 your Charisma bonus.

Amplify Damage (Su): You say a particularly vulgar curse, wishing your enemies terrible harm.

Least: A single target creature within close range must make a Will save each round or take extra damage from your minions equal to your Charisma bonus. They also take extra damage from any other single source of damage equal to 1/2 your Charisma bonus. The maximum extra damage the creature can take each round from this curse is 2x your Charisma bonus.

Lesser, required class level 4: The maximum extra damage the creature can take each round from this curse is 3x your Charisma bonus. Your minions deal extra damage equal to 1.5x your Charisma bonus.

Greater, required class level 10: The maximum extra damage the creature can take each round from this curse is 4x your Charisma bonus. Your minions deal extra damage equal to 2x your Charisma bonus. Other sources of damage deal extra damage equal to your Charisma bonus.

Attract (Su): A red glow lines the edges of your enemy's vision and their sight becomes focused on killing one target at all costs.

Least: When you use this ability, choose a single ally (or minion) and a single creature in close range. The creature must make a Will save each round or take a -2 penalty to attack rolls and a -2 penalty to DCs for abilities that do not include the ally as part of the effect.

Lesser, required class level 4: The penalty increases to -3 and the creature takes 1 damage per HD if it does not use an ability that includes the ally as part of the effect.

Greater, required class level 10: The penalty increases to -4 and the creature still takes a -2 penalty on a successful save. You may target a number of creatures equal to 1/2 your Charisma bonus.

Confuse (Su): You laugh maniacally and draw a 6 pointed star in the air; your enemy loses grip of reality and acts without reason.

Least, required class level 6: A single target creature within close range must make a Will save each round or act as though confused until its next turn. A single successful save against this effect renders a creature immune to it for the remainder of the encounter.

Lesser, required class level 12: You can choose an ally within close range to be considered the caster for this ability (so a result of "attack the caster" will cause the creature to attack your ally instead of you).

Greater, required class level 18: You may target a number of creatures up to 1/2 your Charisma bonus.

Decrepify (Su): You shake a twisted rattle and your enemy's muscles begin to fail them.

Least: A single target creature within close range must make a Fortitude save each round or else its speed is reduced by 50% (round down to the nearest 5ft. increment) for all of its movement modes.

Lesser, required class level 8: It is slowed instead.

Greater, required class level 16: The creature is slowed, but it also cannot move more than 5ft. on its turn.

Dim Vision (Su): You create a blurry cloud around your enemies, causing them to miss their attacks.

Least: A single target creature within close range must make a Will save each round or receive a 20% miss chance due to concealment (this has no effect on creatures that ignore concealment).

Lesser, required class level 8: This ability affects a creature even if it normally ignores concealment. The miss chance improves to 40%.

Greater, required class level 16: The creature is blinded with all of its basic senses instead (this will not affect telepathy, but will affect blindsight). You must use a standard action to maintain Dim Vision at this rank (you may still use the lesser rank to maintain it as a swift action).

Iron Maiden (Su): You cackle and chant "an eye for an eye!"

Least, required class level 6: A single target creature within close range must make a Fortitude save each round or take damage equal to your Charisma bonus when it attacks a creature other than one of your minions.

Lesser, required class level 12: The creature takes damage equal to 1.5x your Charisma bonus when it attacks a creature other than one of your minions and damage equal to 1/2 your Charisma bonus when it attacks minions.

Greater, required class level 18: The creature takes damage equal to 2x your Charisma bonus when it attacks a creature other than one of your minions and damage equal to your Charisma bonus when it attacks minions.

Life Tap (Su): You slice your palms and fan them in the direction of your enemy; his vitality flows away from him and towards your allies.

Least, required class level 6: A single target creature within close range must make a Fortitude save each round or else each attack that deals damage to the creature heals the attacker by 1 hp per 2 HD of the creature. An individual attacker can only heal hp once per round from this ability and cannot heal more than 50% of its maximum hitpoints.

Lesser, required class level 12: Whenever one of your minions hits the creature, you heal 1 hp per 3 HD of the creature. You cannot heal more than 50% of your maximum hitpoints from this curse.

Greater, required class level 18: Whenever one of your minions hits the creature, you heal 1 hp per HD of the creature instead.

Lower Resist (Su): You draw a small amount of blood from yourself and make a crescent shape in the air; your enemy becomes more vulnerable to attacks.

Least: A single target creature within close range must make a Fortitude save each round or have all forms of its damage reduction reduced to 0 against your minions and reduced by your 1/2 your Charisma bonus against other creatures.

Lesser, required class level 6: This requires no action to maintain and it reduces the damage reduction by your full Charisma bonus instead.

Greater, required class level 12: You may target a number of creatures equal to 1/2 your Charisma modifier. You may also choose one element. The creatures gain vulnerability (+50% extra damage) to that element.

Terror (Su): You conjure images of the most nightmarish things into your enemy's mind.

Least, required class level 6: A single target creature within close range must make a Will save each round or have their fear level raised one step, to a maximum of frightened (from no fear level to shaken or shaken to frightened). If they pass a Will save from this ability, all of their fear levels caused by this ability are removed (they are still affected by other fear effects). Subsequent failed Will saves from this ability can continue to raise their fear level. This curse takes a standard action to maintain instead of a swift action.

Lesser, required class level 12: The maximum fear level becomes panicked. You can also affect creatures that are normally immune to fear, but they get a +4 bonus on their saving throw.

Greater, required class level 18: You may target a number of creatures up to 1/2 your Charisma bonus.

Weaken (Su): You laugh at your enemy and watch as their blows become ineffective.

Least, required class level 6: A single target creature within close range must make a Fortitude save each round or deal half damage with its attacks.

Lesser, required class level 12: You may maintain this curse as a free action.

Greater, required class level 18: The creature's damage is capped at a maximum of 1 per HD.

Teeth (Su): As a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, you can fire several sharp teeth at any number of targets within close range. You may distribute your 1d4s of damage any way you like among the targets and you make a single ranged touch attack roll using your Charisma bonus in place of your Dexterity modifier if it is beneficial, comparing the result to each target's AC. The damage is magical piercing damage.

Poison Use (Ex): Necromancers are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Bone Wall (Su): As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, usable once per minute, you can conjure a wall of bone that is 5ft. wide and in a line with a maximum length of 5ft. per class level. The wall is 10ft. tall and each 5ft. square section of the wall has 15 hp + 1 hp per class level. After an hour, the bone shatters into a fine dust.

Corpse Explosion (Su): As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a necromancer can cause the corpse of one of his destroyed minions that is within medium range to explode. Each creature within a 5ft. radius of the remains of the minion's corpse must make a Reflex save DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Intelligence modifier or take 1d6 fire damage per 2 class levels. A successful save halves the damage.

At 17th level, the explosion radius increases to 10ft and, as an immediate action when one of your minions is destroyed, you can cause its corpse to explode.

Bone Armor (Su): At 12th level, a necromancer can create a charm from the spine of a monster he has slain with a CR of at least 12. This charm, when activated as a swift action, creates a set of bone armor for the necromancer. This armor counts as light armor, but is otherwise identical to a masterwork breastplate. The charm can be enchanted as if it were armor, and bestows the bonus to the bone armor. The charm can only be activated by the necromancer and the bone armor crumbles to dust if he removes it (he can also will it to crumble to dust as a swift action).

Bone Prison (Su): As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, usable once per encounter, you can conjure a cage made of massive bones, that surround a creature on the ground. The cage has 5 hp per class level (75 to start) and is a complete sphere (the lower half being underground). After an hour the bone prison shatters into a fine dust.

Poison Nova (Su): As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, usable once per day, you can emit a burst of poisonous energy that weakens your enemies. Each living creature within 30ft. must make a Fortitude save DC 10 + 1/2 your HD + 1/2 your Intelligence modifier or be afflicted by a poison that nauseates them for 1 round and sickens them for 4 rounds. Even on a successful save, they are sickened for 5 rounds.

Revive (Su): As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, usable once per day, you can bring a creature back from the dead, under your control. The creature has all of the same statistics as it did before it died and is at its maximum hitpoints, but its type is changed to Undead, giving it the immunities and qualities of an undead creature (its hitpoints are not adjusted by the loss of a Constitution score, however). You must spend a standard action each round to maintain control of the creature and you can control it for a maximum of 1 minute before the creature's body dissolves to dust.

Human Necromancer Starting Package

Weapons: Scythe, light crossbow (20 bolts).

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 3 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Concentration	4	Con	—
Disguise	4	Cha	—
Heal	4	Wis	—
Hide	4	Dex	—
Intimidate	4	Cha	—
Move Silently	4	Dex	—
Spellcraft	4	Int	—

Feat: Point Blank Shot.

Bonus Feats: Precise Shot.

Gear: Leather armor, backpack, 3 days trail rations, bedroll, sunrod.

Gold: 2d4.

Minions: Choose 4 of any combination of the following minions.

Skeleton

• Undead Type
• Attack bonus: 1 + your Charisma modifier
• Damage: 1 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing
• Base Land Speed: 30 ft.
• 1 hp (1 HD)
• AC: 11 + your Intelligence modifier, touch: 10 + your Intelligence modifier, flat-footed: 10 + your Intelligence modifier
• Saving throws: Your saving throws - 1, Evasion and Mettle

Skeletal Archer

• Undead Type
• Attack bonus: 1 + your Charisma modifier, ranged with a 60ft. range increment (max 600 ft.)
• Damage: 1 piercing
• Base Land Speed: 30 ft.
• 1 hp (1 HD)
• AC: 10 + your Intelligence modifier, touch: 10 + your Intelligence modifier, flat-footed: 9 + your Intelligence modifier
• Fort: Your fort save - 3, Mettle
• Ref: Your will save - 1, Evasion
• Will: Your will save - 3, Mettle

Zombie

• Undead Type
• Attack bonus: 1 + your Charisma modifier
• Damage: 1 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing
• Base Land Speed: 30 ft.
• 1 hp (1 HD)
• AC: 13 + your Intelligence modifier, touch: 10 + your Intelligence modifier, flat-footed: 12 + your Intelligence modifier
• Fort: Your will save, Mettle
• Ref: Your ref save - 1, Evasion
• Will: Your will save - 1, Mettle
• The first time its HP would be reduced to 0 during an encounter, it stays at 1 instead.
• Zombies can only take partial actions.

Campaign Information

Playing a Necromancer

Religion: As you might expect, necromancers tend to worship deities that preside over death. Not all necromancers are concerned with religion, however. The ones that are concerned tend to worship out of respect for the dead that they use or to pay homage to a possible source for their dark powers.

Other Classes: A necromancer's affinity to the dead can often be unsettling to other adventurers and even outright offensive to others. One redeeming quality that even those that abhor undead can concede is that necromancers only use the dead for a short amount of time before returning the bodies back to the earth. And, many good necromancers will argue, that using the bodies of evil creatures against other evil creatures is really no different from mind controlling magic or even clever diplomacy.

Combat: Necromancers focus on diverting attacks in combat towards their minions. Many necromancers will have several curses that will entice their enemies to target their minions instead of themselves or an ally.

Advancement: Necromancers can make good use by multiclassing into classes that offer capabilities to draw attacks or protect allies. Extra HP can help offset the necromancer's rather poor d6 HD.

Necromancers in the World

“	Die. Die! Time to die. Die...	”
—Arthorax, Human Necromancer

Necromancers are loners in civilization, but blend in well with those that also stand apart from regular folk: adventurers. Pretty much any society, whether it is against the law or encouraged, has some members that practice necromancy. And with necromatic magic comes necromancers.

Organizations: Necromancers have exclusive guilds where they can freely operate and hidden societies where they cannot. Many necromancers consider themselves superior to others because they have gained mastery over the one weakness of (most) mortals: death.

NPC Reactions: I think we all know how people react to necromancers. Some people will be disturbed, others might consider getting torches and pitchforks. More than likely, however, they will be met with caution and suspicion (which is why many necromancers invest in disguise).

Necromancer Feats

• Bone Spear
• Bone Spirit
• Poison Explosion

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