Necromancer

Necromancer

Contents

Ability Scores

Necromancers gain a +2 class bonus to Intelligence or Charisma, as long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.

Backgrounds

Possible backgrounds include: failed village priest, archeologist, swamp baron, living dungeon escapee, former necromancer acolyte, death giant servitor, former mummy, reformed outlaw, resurrected Imperial hero, and burnt-out wizard.

Gear

At 1st level, a necromancer starts with various dark robes or traveling clothes, a dagger, a staff, a few treasured bones or funerary urns, and other miscellaneous items suggested by their backgrounds.

Gold Pieces

Necromancers may start with either 25 gp or 1d6 x 10 gp.

Armor

Armor
Armor Type Base AC Atk Penalty
None 10
Light 10
Heavy 11 -2
Shield +1 -2

 

Melee Weapons
  One-Handed Two-Handed
Small 1d4 dagger 1d6 club, staff
Light or Simple 1d6 (-2 atk) mace, shortsword 1d8 (-4 atk) spear
Heavy or Martial 1d8 (-5 atk) longsword, warhammer 1d10 (-6 atk) greatsword

 

Ranged Weapons
  Thrown Crossbow Bow
Small 1d4 dagger, star 1d4 hand crossbow
Light or Simple 1d6 (-2 atk) javelin 1d6 (-1 atk) light crossbow 1d6 (-2 atk) shortbow
Heavy or Martial 1d8 (-4 atk) heavy crossbow 1d8 (-5 atk) longbow

 

Level Progression
Necromancer Total Hit Points Total Feats 1st level (M) 3rd level (M) 5th level (M) 7th level (M) 9th level (M) Level-up Ability Bonuses Damage Bonus From Ability Score

Level 1 Multiclass

(Avg. of both classes) x 3 As 1st level PC 3 Not affected ability modifier

Level 1

(6 + CON mod*) x 3 1 adventurer 4   ability modifier

Level 2

(6 + CON mod) x 4 2 adventurer 5   ability modifier

Level 3

(6 + CON mod) x 5 3 adventurer 3 3   ability modifier

Level 4

(6 + CON mod) x 6 4 adventurer 6 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier

Level 5

(6 + CON mod) x 8 4 adventurer; champion 3 4   2 x ability modifier

Level 6

(6 + CON mod) x 10 4 adventurer; 2 champion 7   2 x ability modifier

Level 7

(6 + CON mod) x 12 4 adventurer; 3 champion 3 5 +1 to 3 abilities 2 x ability modifier

Level 8

(6 + CON mod) x 16 4 adventurer; 3 champion; 1 epic 8   3 x ability modifier

Level 9

(6 + CON mod) x 20 4 adventurer; 3 champion; 2 epic 3 6   3 x ability modifier

Level 10

(6 + CON mod) x 24 4 adventurer; 3 champion; 3 epic 9 +1 to 3 abilities 3 x ability modifier

Although not listed on the table, this class gets three talents. It does not get more at higher levels.

(M): Indicates columns in which multiclass characters lag one level behind.

*You don’t subtract the modifier from your base hp value if you have a negative Constitution modifier.

Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Intelligence or Charisma (different from racial bonus)
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 10 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 11 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)
Recoveries 8
Recovery Dice (1d6 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background
Icon Relationships 3 points (4 at 5th level; 5 at 8th level)
Talents 3
Feats 1 per Level

Basic Attacks

Melee Attack

At-Will

Target: One enemy

Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage

Miss: —

Ranged Attack

At-Will

Target: One enemy

Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage

Miss: —

Class Features

All necromancers share the following class features.

Arcane Implements

As a character casting arcane magic, your best options for improving your spellcasting are wands and staffs.

Death’s Master

All necromancers must spend at least one relationship point with any necromantic icon. (This may be conflicted or negative.) If your one unique thing somehow suggests that you might be free of this requirement, make a case to your GM that this is a way in which you are unique.

Ritual Magic

Necromancers can cast their spells as rituals (see Running the Game, Rituals).

Spell Choices

Like other standard spellcasters, you choose the spells you will be able to cast after each full heal-up.

Summoning

Your summoning spells use the standard summoning rules. The following feats enable you to improve your summoning powers.

Adventurer Feat Your summoned creatures can add the escalation die to their attacks.

Champion Feat When you summon mooks, increase the number of mooks you summon by 1.

Epic Feat The first time one of your non-mook summoned creatures is dropped each battle, roll a normal save. If you succeed, the summoned creature is not slain but instead remains in the battle with 10 hp.

Wasting Away

Necromancers are frail, gaunt, parched, skinny, sickly, wasted, cadaverous, dependent on unearthly substances, or partially dead. This isn’t just an aesthetic note—as a necromancer, you must subtract your Constitution modifier from all your necromancer spell attacks if your modifier is positive. In addition, you don’t die until you fail five death saves. Similarly, you don’t succumb to last gasp save effects until you fail the fifth save.

Adventurer Feat If your Constitution modifier is negative, add +1 to your necromancer spell attacks.

Champion Feat You don’t die from damage until your negative hit points equal your maximum hit points, instead of half your maximum.

Epic Feat One battle per day, you can choose to succeed with death saves on an 11+ instead of a 16+.

Class Talents

Cackling Soliloquist

If you spend your move action, your quick action, and your standard action casting a daily spell that ordinarily only requires a standard action—while screaming grandiloquently, cackling maniacally, or megalomaniacally describing the grandeur of your plans and the futility of your enemies’ resistance—the daily spell is recharge 18+ after battle instead of daily, and you can invent a slight improvement to the spell, especially if it’s partly story-oriented, that provides an extra benefit determined by the GM or by you (with GM approval).

Adventurer Feat You gain temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your level + Charisma modifier when you use Cackling Soliloquist (double your Charisma modifier at 5th level; triple it at 8th level).

Champion Feat Your soliloquized spell is now a recharge 16+ after battle instead of 18+.

Epic Feat Once per day, you can hog the spotlight when using Cackling Soliloquist. When you do, you heal using a free recovery and steal the escalation die, keeping it all to yourself. Until the end of your next turn, you are the only creature—PC, NPC, or monster—that can use the escalation die, and you treat the escalation die as if it were an 8. At the end of your next turn, return the escalation die to the table, one point higher than it was when you seized it.

Dead Wizard

You gain the Cantrips class feature from the wizard class. The talent functions like the wizard’s class feature with the following exceptions:

  • You can’t cast mending.

Your light cantrip has a sickly flicker or a dark edge. Feel free to call it darklight.

Adventurer Feat You can take a wizard spell in place of one of your necromancer spells of the same level. You can change this spell for a new one you know whenever you take a full heal-up.

Champion Feat You gain a bonus wizard spell that is at least two levels below your level, in addition to the spells you can cast as a necromancer. You can change this spell for a new one you know whenever you take a full heal-up.

Epic Feat You gain a second bonus wizard spell, but this one can be of your level or lower. You can change this spell for a new one you know whenever you take a full heal-up.

Death Priest

When you have icon relationship advantages you’re waiting to use during a session, you can interpret them as interactions/public discussions with the spirits of the recent or ancient dead in the area, providing information you require (and possibly, when there’s a complication from a 5 roll, also providing that information to your enemies or otherwise getting you into some type of trouble).

Séance: Similarly, once per day while you’re not in battle, you can perform a short rite (1–2 minutes) to call upon a spirit of the dead that’s related to a random icon other than a necromantic icon. The spirit will speak to you, relaying information helpfully, or under protest if it’s related to an icon that considers you an enemy or with which you have a negative relationship.

You can’t always rely on the dead to speak the truth, or to know what they are talking about. Whenever you use the séance power above, the GM secretly rolls a d20 before the discussion. On a 3+, the spirit knows what it is talking about. On a 1–2, the information is outdated, sabotaged, or just erroneous. (Note that this roll is only used for séances, not for spirits you talk to thanks to icon advantages mentioned above.)

At 5th level you can use séance two times per day. At 8th level you can use it three times per day.

Adventurer Feat Whenever you take a full heal-up, you can choose whether you’d like to move a single point in a relationship with a positively or negatively aligned icon to one of the other icons. Tell a story of what has taken place to cause the shift, unless it’s already obvious from the events of the campaign. When you shift this relationship, the new point must match any current relationships with that icon, but it can be positive, negative, or conflicted if it’s currently the only point you have with that icon.

Champion Feat You gain a bonus cleric spell that is at least two levels below your level, in addition to the spells you can cast as a necromancer. You can change this spell for a new one you know whenever you take a full heal-up. You can also substitute references to Wisdom with references to Intelligence in the spell.

Epic Feat You gain the lowest-tier feat, if any, associated with your bonus cleric spell.

Deathknell

As a quick action, you can drop a nearby enemy that has 5 hp or fewer down to 0 hp. When you drop an enemy using Deathknell, you heal 1d6 hit points.

You can use Deathknell to drop a mook, but only if it’s the last mook in its mob and the mob has 5 hp or fewer left.

3rd level spell: Drop an enemy with 10 hp or fewer. Heal 1d10 hit points.

5th level spell: Drop an enemy with 15 hp or fewer. Heal 2d8 hit points.

7th level spell: Drop an enemy with 20 hp or fewer. Heal 4d6 hit points.

9th level spell: Drop an enemy with 25 hp or fewer. Heal 4d8 hit points.

Adventurer Feat When you use Deathknell, one of your nearby conscious allies can gain the healing instead of you.

Champion Feat Double the healing gained from Deathknell when you drop an enemy.

Epic Feat You can increase the escalation die by 1 instead of healing when you kill a non-mook enemy with Deathknell.

It’s Complicated

When you roll icon relationship dice, the first 6 you roll is a 5 instead.

You gain an extra necromancer spell at the highest spell level you can normally cast (as shown under spells known on the necromancer level progression chart). For example, you would gain an extra 3rd level spell if you’re 4th level, or an extra 5th level spell if you’re 5th level.

Champion Feat All 6s you roll with relationship dice count as 5s. You gain another extra necromancer spell, but it must be at least two levels lower than your level.

Redeemer

Undead you summon release holy energy bursts as they drop to 0 hp, dealing a small amount of damage to each enemy engaged with them.

Mooks you summon deal holy damage equal to your Charisma modifier (double your Charisma modifier at 5th level; triple it at 8th level).

Non-mooks you summon deal holy damage equal to your Charisma modifier x 1d4 (1d8 at 5th level; 2d6 at 8th level).

In story terms, you’re not likely to have a positive relationship with any necromantic icons if you take the Redeemer talent.

Adventurer Feat The first time each battle an undead creature you have summoned attacks, it gains an attack bonus equal to your Charisma modifier.

Champion Feat When one of your summoned undead creatures drops to 0 hp, instead of having it deal holy damage to engaged enemies, you can heal hit points equal to that damage instead.

Epic Feat You can memorize a single spell that summons undead twice.

Skeletal Minion

You have a skeleton minion the same level as you that acts as a servant, fights alongside you in battle, and is replaced by a new skeletal minion when it inevitably collapses or is destroyed. It is not a summoned creature; summoning rules don’t apply.

Your minion acts on your initiative, taking a standard action, a move action, and (if applicable) a quick action. You decide whether it takes its turn before or after you.

The listed attack and damage values are for melee attacks. Your skeletal minion can’t heal. When it drops to 0 hp, it’s destroyed for that battle. When you take a quick rest, a new (or patched up) skeletal minion will take its place.

Skeletal Minion Level Progression
Level Attack vs. AC Damage AC PD MD HP
1 +6 d6 17 15 11 14
2 +7 d8 18 16 12 18
3 +9 d12 19 17 13 22
4 +10 2d6 21 19 15 27
5 +11 2d8 22 20 16 36
6 +13 3d6 23 21 17 45
7 +14 3d8 25 23 19 54
8 +15 4d6 26 24 20 72
9 +17 4d8 27 25 21 90
10 +18 5d6 28 26 22 108
Skeletal Minion Feats

Like animal companion feats, skeletal minion feats don’t build on each other. You don’t have to take them in a particular order, as long as you qualify for the tier.

Adventurer Feats

  • Your skeletal minion now adds the escalation die to its attack rolls.
  • When an enemy attempts to disengage from the skeletal minion, it takes a penalty to the check equal to the escalation die.
  • As a quick action, you can set your skeletal minion ablaze, or extinguish the blaze. While it’s flaming, your skeleton minion’s damage dice increase by one size, and it deals fire damage with its melee attacks, but it takes damage equal to your level each time its natural attack roll is odd.

Champion Feats

  • Add a damage die of the same size to your skeletal minion’s damage rolls (for example, 3d6 becomes 4d6).
  • Add double your Charisma modifier to your skeletal minion’s hit points. At 8th level, add triple it.

Epic Feats

  • Your skeletal minion gains a +2 bonus to all defenses.
  • Add a damage die of the same size to your skeletal minion’s damage rolls (for example, 4d6 becomes 5d6, and this is cumulative with the champion feat).

Sorta Dead

In some ways, you’re dead already. You don’t need to eat or sleep or breathe. You can’t drown in normal water/liquid, though magical gas will still affect you.

When a spell or effect targets or applies to undead, you can decide whether you want to count as undead for that specific effect. (For example, you could count as undead to take advantage of a target’s vulnerability created by the ripping claws attack of a starving ghoul mook you summoned via summon undead.)

The first time you die each level, roll a normal save, adding your Charisma modifier. If you succeed, you heal using a free recovery instead of dying. If you were dying because of last gasp saves, consider yourself saved from the last gasp problem also.

Adventurer Feat You gain resist poison 16+ and resist negative energy 16+.

Champion Feat The spells zombie form, ghoul form, ghost form, and vampiric form all function as recharge 16+ after battle spells for you, though you still memorize them as daily spells.

Epic Feat No undead creature that is not under the direct command of a necromantic icon can attack you unless you attack it or cast a spell against it first.

1st Level Spells

Channel Life

Ranged spell; Once per battle

Attack Target: One random nearby creature other than the healing target

Healing Target: One nearby ally

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD (make one attack only against the attack target)

Hit vs. an enemy: 2d6 + Intelligence negative energy damage, and the healing target can heal using a recovery.

Hit vs. an ally: 5 negative energy damage, and the healing target can heal using a recovery.

Miss: The spell is not expended.

3rd level spell: 5d6 damage vs. enemy, 10 damage vs. ally.

5th level spell: 5d10 damage vs. enemy, 15 damage vs. ally.

7th level spell: 7d10 damage vs. enemy, 20 damage vs. ally.

9th level spell: 10d12 damage vs. enemy, 30 damage vs. ally.

Adventurer Feat You can now cast this spell twice per battle.

Champion Feat Staggered allies can no longer be an attack target of the spell.

Epic Feat On a miss, the spell now deals half damage to the target, but there is still no effect on the healing target.

Chant of Endings

Ranged spell; At-Will

Target: The nearby enemy with the fewest hit points (you choose if there’s a tie; you also don’t have to be able to see that enemy)

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: 1d10 + Intelligence negative energy damage.

3rd level spell: 4d6 damage.

5th level spell: 6d6 damage.

7th level spell: 6d10 damage.

9th level spell: 8d10 damage.

Adventurer Feat You can now choose whether or not you want to ignore mooks as targets when you cast the spell.

Champion Feat Misses now deal damage equal to your level.

Epic Feat While the escalation die is 4+, you can now target two nearby enemies with the fewest hit points with this spell.

Command Undead

Ranged spell; Once per battle

Target: One nearby undead creature with 64 hp or fewer

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: The target is confused (hard save ends, 16+).

3rd level spell: Target with 96 hp or fewer.

5th level spell: Target with 160 hp or fewer.

7th level spell: Target with 266 hp or fewer.

9th level spell: Target with 460 hp or fewer.

Adventurer Feat A miss doesn’t expend the spell.

Champion Feat If you wish, the target doesn’t make any attacks while confused. Instead it becomes compliant, answers short questions if possible, and follows other suggestions that don’t lead directly to damaging itself or other creatures. Basically, while confused it becomes a slightly puzzled friend, which may wonder why your other friends are hurting it while it’s trying to be helpful.

Epic Feat

The target now adds the escalation die to its attacks while confused by this spell.

Death’s Gauntlet

Ranged spell; At-Will

Target: One nearby creature

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier ongoing negative energy damage.

Special: Instead of taking the ongoing damage at the end of its turn, the target can use its standard action to strike out at the skeletal limbs or spectral arms that are flailing at it. When it does, the ongoing damage ends and you can’t use death’s gauntlet again until the end of your next turn.

Miss: Damage equal to your level.

3rd level spell: 2d8 damage.

5th level spell: 4d6 damage.

7th level spell: 6d6 damage.

9th level spell: 7d10 damage.

Adventurer Feat When a target uses a standard action to end death’s gauntlet ongoing damage, it takes negative energy damage equal to your level.

Champion Feat When you roll a natural even hit against a target with this spell, the ongoing negative energy damage has a hard save (16+).

Epic Feat The spell can also target MD instead of PD.

Summon Undead (1st level+)

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon a mob of 1d3 + 1 crumbling skeleton mooks, as per the summoning rules. These skeletons fight for you until the end of the battle or until they drop to 0 hp, whichever comes first.

As you cast the spell at higher levels, the mooks you summon vary, as shown below. The stats for each mob of mooks you can summon are also shown below.

3rd level spell: 1d3 + 1 putrid zombie mooks.

5th level spell: 1d3 + 1 starving ghoul mooks.

7th level spell: 1d3 + 1 masterless vampire spawn mooks.

9th level spell: 1d3 + 1 Blackamber skeletal warrior mooks.

Champion Feat You now summon 1d4 + 1 mooks when you cast this spell instead of 1d3 + 1.

Epic Feat If one or more mooks summoned by the spell survive the battle, you can keep one mook with you until the next battle. Or until someone in the party or the world gets sick of it and slays the thing.

Crumbling Skeleton
Normal

1st level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +6

Vulnerability: holy

Sword +6 vs. AC3 damage

Resist weapons 16+: When a weapon attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

16

14

10

6

Putrid Zombie
Normal

3rd level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +2

Vulnerability: holy

Rotting fist +7 vs. AC5 damage

Natural 16+: Both the zombie and its target take 1d6 damage!

Headshot: A critical hit against a putrid zombie deals triple damage instead of the normal double damage for a crit.

AC

PD

MD

HP

18

16

12

16

Starving Ghoul
Normal

5th level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +8

Vulnerability: holy

Ripping claws +10 vs. AC7 damage

Natural 16+ The target is vulnerable (attacks vs. it have crit range expanded by 2) to attacks by undead until the end of the ghoul’s next turn.

Pound of flesh: The starving ghoul’s ripping claws attack deals +5 damage against vulnerable targets.

AC

PD

MD

HP

20

18

14

18

Masterless Vampire Spawn
Normal

7th level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +11

Vulnerability: holy

Claw +11 vs. AC14 damage

Natural even hit: The vampire spawn can make a fangs attack against the target as a free action.

[Special trigger] Fangs +15 vs. AC—7 damage, and a humanoid target is weakened (–4 attack and defenses) until the end of the masterless vampire spawn’s next turn

AC

PD

MD

HP

22

19

17

24

Blackamber Skeletal Warrior
Normal

9th level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +15

Vulnerability: holy

Shortsword +15 vs. AC28 damage

Natural 16+: Each Blackamber skeletal warrior in the battle moves up 1d4 points in initiative order.

Natural even miss: 10 damage.

R: Javelin +13 vs. AC—24 damage

Press advantage: The warrior deals +1d10 damage with its attacks against enemies that have a lower initiative than it.

Resist weapons 16+: When a weapon attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

26

20

22

25

Terror

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby creature with 50 hp or fewer

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: The target uses all its actions during its turn to move away from the battle, disengaging from enemies to do so (hard save ends, 16+). If it fails to disengage with all of its actions, it won’t take opportunity attacks by moving. The effect also ends when you or one of your allies attacks the target.

Miss: 1d10 + Intelligence psychic damage.

3rd level spell: Target with 70 hp or fewer, 4d6 damage on a miss.

5th level spell: Target with 100 hp or fewer, 6d6 damage on a miss.

7th level spell: Target with 180 hp or fewer, 6d10 damage on a miss.

9th level spell: Target with 300 hp or fewer, 8d10 damage on a miss.

Adventurer Feat When you miss with this spell, you regain it after the battle.

Champion Feat Increase the hit point threshold of targets by 50 hp.

Epic Feat The target also takes the miss damage each time it fails a save against the effect.

Unholy Blast

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 4d6 + Intelligence negative energy damage.

First Miss: Half damage, and make the attack again against an enemy you haven’t already targeted with unholy blast this turn.

Second Miss: Half damage, or full damage if the escalation die is 1+ and you choose to decrease it by 1.

3rd level spell: 4d10 damage.

5th level spell: 7d10 damage.

7th level spell: 10d10 damage.

9th level spell: 2d8 x 10 damage.

Adventurer Feat The spell can now target far away enemies.

Champion Feat The spell’s damage dice increase to d12s.

Epic Feat The spell now targets two nearby enemies, but you can’t attack the same target twice as you work through the misses and hits.

Zombie Form

Ranged spell; Daily

Special: You can only cast this spell outside of battle; it requires 2d4 rounds to cast.

Target: You or one willing nearby ally

Effect: The target gains 30 temporary hit points that last until the end of the next battle. Until the end of the next battle, the target takes a –5 penalty to Charisma and Dexterity skill checks (no penalty to attacks), to disengage checks, and to initiative rolls.

3rd level spell: 50 temporary hit points.

5th level spell: 80 temporary hit points.

7th level spell: 130 temporary hit points.

9th level spell: 210 temporary hit points.

3rd Level Spells

The Bones Beneath

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby mook (and hence, its mob)

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 4d12 + Intelligence negative energy damage, and each mook in the mob that drops becomes a skeleton mook under your control until the end of the battle.

Miss: Half damage, and each mook in the mob that drops becomes a skeleton mook under your control until the end of the battle.

5th level spell: 7d12 damage.

7th level spell: 2d6 x 10 damage.

9th level spell: 2d10 x 10 damage.

Special: The stats for the mooks created by each level of the bones beneath appear below. The level or physical nature of the mooks is irrelevant; the magic of the spell turns whatever creatures it’s forced to work with into skeletal mook allies with the stats below.

The new mooks take their turn immediately after your turn.

This isn’t a summoning spell, so the mooks created by this spell don’t count as summoned mooks.

Just-ripped-free Skeleton Mook (3rd)
Normal

3rd level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +8

Vulnerability: holy

Sword or axe or whatever +8 vs. AC5 damage

Resist weapons 16+: When a weapon attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

18

16

12

11

Just-ripped-free Skeleton Mook (5th)
Normal

3rd level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +10

Vulnerability: holy

Sword or axe or whatever +10 vs. AC8 damage

Resist weapons 16+: When a weapon attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

20

18

14

18

Just-ripped-free Skeleton Mook (7th)
Normal

3rd level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +12

Vulnerability: holy

Sword or axe or whatever +12 vs. AC16 damage

Resist weapons 16+: When a weapon attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

22

20

16

27

Just-ripped-free Skeleton Mook (9th)
Normal

3rd level

Mook

Undead

Initiative: +14

Vulnerability: holy

Sword or axe or whatever +14 vs. AC28 damage

Resist weapons 16+: When a weapon attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

24

22

18

44

Circle of Death

Ranged spell; Daily

Special: You can’t cast this spell unless the escalation die is 3+.

Target: Each nearby creature (allies and enemies)

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit vs. an enemy: 5d12 + Intelligence negative energy damage.

Hit vs. an ally: 1d6 negative energy damage.

Miss vs. an enemy: Half damage.

Miss vs. an ally: You take half the damage the ally would have taken on a hit.

5th level spell: 8d12 damage to an enemy, 2d6 damage to an ally.

7th level spell: 2d8 x 10 damage to an enemy, 3d8 damage to an ally.

9th level spell: 4d6 x 10 damage to an enemy, 3d10 damage to an ally.

Ghoul Form

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: You or one willing nearby ally

Effect: Until the end of the battle, the target gains a +4 melee attack bonus. In addition, enemies engaged with the target are vulnerable to its melee attacks.

The target also only gains half the normal amount from healing effects, no matter the source.

5th level spell: The target now also gains a +4 bonus to initiative, Dexterity checks, and disengage checks.

7th level spell: Enemies engaged with the target are now vulnerable to all attacks.

9th level spell: The target also rolls an icon relationship die with any necromantic icon, choosing whether the relationship is positive or negative.

Negative Energy Shield

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Target: You

Effect: Until the end of the battle, when an enemy engaged with you attacks you with a natural odd attack roll, it takes 6d6 + Intelligence negative energy damage.

5th level spell: 6d10 damage.

7th level spell: 10d10 damage.

9th level spell: 2d8 x 10 damage.

Ray of Enfeeblement

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby enemy with 96 hp or fewer

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 4d12 + Intelligence negative energy damage, and the target is weakened (save ends)

Miss: Half damage.

5th level spell: 7d12 damage.

7th level spell: 2d6 x 10 damage.

9th level spell: 2d10 x 10 damage.

Adventurer Feat The spell can now target an enemy with any number of hit points while the escalation die is 3+.

Champion Feat The save against weakened is now a hard save (16+).

Epic Feat On a miss, the target is also dazed (save ends).

Speak with Dead

Ranged spell; Variable

Special: You can use this spell 1d3 times each day (roll during a full heal-up when you take it). Each time you use the spell, you must wait 1d6 hours before casting it again.

Target: One corpse you are touching that has been dead less than a day. Note that creatures that were undead for a longer period before they were killed are not legal targets.

Effect: You can ask the corpse a number of yes/no questions that the leftover fragments of personality/spirit within the corpse will attempt to answer truthfully using the information it had when it died.* The magic uses the caster’s knowledge of language so no translation is needed. The first question is free. The second question requires a DC 15 necromancy skill check using Intelligence if the corpse is “friendly,” and Charisma if the corpse is not. Increase the DC by +5 for each subsequent question after the second. If you’re using this spell during battle, each question and answer requires a round.

Note: Just as with the séance ability of the Death Priest talent, there’s always a 10% chance that the spirit summoned is going to lie to you for reasons best known to it and to the GM. The GM rolls a d20 secretly before the corpse provides any answers; a 3+ means the spirit will speak truly, but a 1 or a 2 means it will lie while appearing to be aiming for the truth.

5th level spell: You can now cast this spell 1d4 times per day, targeting corpses or even just heads that have been dead up to a week.

7th level spell: Questions can now be phrased to receive three-word answers, targeting corpses/heads that have been dead up to a month.

9th level spell: Questions can now be phrased to receive one to two sentence answers, targeting corpses/heads or skeletal remains of almost any age.

Summon Horror (3rd level+)

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon a ghoul, as per the summoning rules. The summoned ghoul fights for you until the end of the battle or until it drops to 0 hp, whichever comes first.

As you cast the spell at higher levels, the creature you summon varies, as shown below. The stats for each creature are shown below.

5th level spell: You can now summon a wight.

7th level spell: You can now summon a barrow wight.

9th level spell: You can now summon a greater wight.

Summoned Ghoul
Normal

3rd level

Spoiler

Undead

Initiative: +8

Vulnerability: holy

Claws and bite +8 vs. AC8 damage

Natural even hit: The target is vulnerable (attacks vs. it have crit range expanded by 2) to attacks by undead until the end of the ghoul’s next turn.

Pound of flesh: The ghoul’s claws and bite attack deals +4 damage against vulnerable targets.

Infected bite: Any creature that is slain by a ghoul and not consumed will rise as a ghoul the next night.

AC

PD

MD

HP

18

16

12

20

Summoned Wight
Normal

5th level

Spoiler

Undead

Initiative: +8

Vulnerability: holy

Sword +10 vs. AC14 damage

Natural even hit or miss: Unless the wight is staggered, the attack also deals 8 ongoing negative energy damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

22

18

14

32

Summoned Barrow Wight
Normal

7th level

Spoiler

Undead

Initiative: +10

Vulnerability: holy

Sword +12 vs. AC21 damage

Natural even hit or miss: Unless the barrow wight is staggered, the attack also deals 13 ongoing negative energy damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

24

20

16

52

Summoned Greater Wight
Normal

9th level

Spoiler

Undead

Initiative: +12

Vulnerability: holy

Attack +14 vs AC40 damage

Natural even hit or miss: Unless the greater wight is staggered, the attack also deals 20 ongoing negative energy damage.

AC

PD

MD

HP

26

22

18

90

Wave of Decay

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: Choose a nearby enemy. It takes 2d6 negative energy damage for each point on the escalation die. (For example, if the escalation die is 2 when you cast the spell, you’ll deal 4d6 negative energy damage to the target.)

Until the end of the battle, as a free action at the start of each of your turns, repeat the effect above, choosing a target and dealing damage based on the escalation die value.

The effect ends at the end of the battle, when you drop to 0 hp, or when your wave of decay damage drops an enemy to 0 hit points!

5th level spell: 2d12 damage.

7th level spell: 3d12 damage.

9th level spell: 5d12 damage.

Champion Feat The spell no longer ends when you drop to 0 hit points or below;instead it ends when you fail a death save.

Epic Feat The spell no longer ends when you use it to drop an enemy to 0 hit points; it now ends when it drops a second enemy to 0 hit points.

5th Level Spells

Death’s Call

Ranged spell; Once per battle

Quick action to cast

Effect: Choose a creature you can see in the battle. If that creature is the next creature to drop to 0 hp, you heal using a recovery.

7th level spell: When the creature drops, one of your nearby allies can heal using a recovery instead of you.

9th level spell: If the chosen creature is not the next creature in the battle to drop to 0 hp, you still gain 30 temporary hit points.

Champion Feat The recovery is now free.

Epic Feat If your choice was wrong, you don’t expend the spell and can cast it later this battle. A second failed choice expends the spell.

Rotting Curse

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 30 ongoing negative energy damage (hard save ends, 16+), and each time the target fails the save, the ongoing negative energy damage increases by 15

Miss: 15 ongoing negative energy damage (hard save ends, 16+).

7th level spell: 50 ongoing damage on a hit, with fail increments/miss damage of 25.

9th level spell: 80 ongoing damage on a hit, with fail increments/miss damage of 40.

Summon Wraith

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon a wraith, as per the summoning rules. This wraith fights for you until the end of the battle or until it drops to 0 hp, whichever comes first.

As you cast the spell at higher levels, you summon multiple wraiths. Stats for the two versions of the wraith summoned by the spell are listed below.

7th level spell: You can now summon two wraiths.

9th level spell: You can now summon two greater wraiths.

Epic Feat When you cast summon wraith while the escalation die is 3+, you summon three wraiths or greater wraiths instead of two.

Summoned Wraith
Normal

5th level

Spoiler

Undead

Initiative: +10

Vulnerability: holy

Ice-cold ghost blade +10 vs. PD14 negative energy damage

Natural 16+: The target is also weakened until the end of its next turn.

C: Spiraling assault +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—10 negative energy damage, and after the attack the wraith teleports to and engages with one target it hit

Limited use: The wraith can use spiraling assault only when the escalation die is even.

Flight: The wraith hovers and zooms about.

 

Ghostly: This creature has resist damage 16+ to all damage (yes, even holy damage) except force damage, which damages it normally.

A wraith can move through solid objects, but it can’t end its movement inside them.

AC

PD

MD

HP

19

14

17

33

Summoned Greater Wraith
Normal

7th level

Spoiler

Undead

Initiative: +12

Vulnerability: holy

Ice-cold ghost blade +12 vs. PD20 negative energy damage

Natural 16+: The target is also weakened until the end of its next turn.

C: Spiraling assault +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—15 negative energy damage, and after the attack the wraith teleports to and engages with one target it hit

Limited use: The wraith can use spiraling assault only when the escalation die is even.

Flight: The wraith hovers and zooms about.

 

Ghostly: This creature has resist damage 16+ to all damage (yes, even holy damage) except force damage, which damages it normally.

A wraith can move through solid objects, but it can’t end its movement inside them.

AC

PD

MD

HP

21

16

19

47

You Know What to Do

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One or more nearby enemies with 90 hp or fewer, up to a maximum number of targets equal to the escalation die

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: The target is confused (save ends). Instead of attacking an ally, the target attacks itself.

Miss: Negative energy damage equal to your level.

7th level spell: Targets with 160 hp or fewer.

9th level spell: Targets with 260 hp or fewer.

Champion Feat The crit range for attacks a confused target makes against itself expands by 4.

Epic Feat Increase the hit point threshold of targets by 40 hp.

7th Level Spells

Cone of Corruption

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: 1d3 nearby enemies in a group, and any of your allies engaged with those enemies

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 10d10 + Intelligence negative energy damage.

Natural even hit: As a hit, plus the target is hampered (save ends).

Miss: Half damage.

9th level spell: 2d8 x 10 damage.

Feigned Defeat

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Quick action to cast

Effect: You lose 10d8 hit points that can’t be prevented in any way. At the start of your next turn, you heal using 3 free recoveries. If you are at 0 hp or below, or even dead, you return to life at 0 hp before healing.

9th level spell: You lose 10d12 hit points.

Ghost Form

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: You

Effect: Until the end of the battle, the target gains flight and resist damage 16+ against all damage except force damage.

The target also only gains half the normal amount from healing effects, no matter the source.

9th level spell: While in ghost form, you can move through solid objects, but you can’t end your movement inside them.

Champion FeatYou can now target a nearby willing ally with the spell instead of yourself.

Epic Feat You can now target up to two nearby willing allies (including you).

9th Level Spells

Finger of Death

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby enemy with 240 hp or fewer

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: The target drops to 0 hp and dies.

Miss: You take 4d10 damage and regain finger of death after the battle.

Epic Feat  You can now target an enemy with 320 hp or fewer.

The Last of the Wine

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One or more nearby enemies, up to a maximum number of targets equal to the escalation die

Special: After you cast this spell, you drop to 0 hit points and can’t use the escalation die any longer this battle. Nothing can prevent this change in hit points.

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: 3d6 x 10 negative energy damage.

Miss: Half damage.

Vampiric Form

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: Until the end of the battle, or until you drop to –40 hit points, you heal 6d10 + triple your Charisma modifier hit points at the start of each of your turns. In addition, as long as this spell is in effect, you can make the following attack as a free action against each nearby enemy that misses you with an attack with a natural roll of 1–5.

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Natural Even Hit: The target is confused until the end of its next turn.

Natural Odd Hit: The target is weakened until the end of its next turn.

Necromancer Multiclass

See Multiclassing for general multiclassing rules.

You lag one level behind in the spells known columns of the Necromancer Level Progression table.

Necromancers don’t count as skillful warriors. Your weapon dice drop one step.

Key Modifiers

Key Modifier Other class
Str/Int Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin
Str or Dex/Int Ranger
Dex/Int Monk, Rogue
Int/Wis Cleric, Druid
Int/Cha Bard, Chaos Mage, Commander, Occultist, Sorcerer, Wizard

 

Section 15: Copyright Notice

13th Age Archmage Engine, version 3.0. Copyright © 2013-2015 Fire Opal Media. All Rights Reserved. Licensed under the Open Game License.

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