Necromancer talents and spells (3pp)

Necromancer Talents

Contents

Black Cabalist

You have advantage (roll twice and take the better result) on skill checks regarding occult lore, death, and necromancy. This includes skill checks you make to cast necromantic rituals.

Adventurer Feat Once per day, when you cast a necromancer spell, narrate how you studied the spell in a flashback. You have advantage on the first attack roll with the spell.

Champion Feat If you invest a feat into a necromancer spell, you also gain the benefits of any other feat of that spell, up to your current tier.

Epic Feat Once per day, you can cast a necromantic ritual by sacrificing a living creature instead of expending a spell.

Bloodseeker

You have advantage on skill checks to sense the heartbeat of nearby living creatures.

Once per battle, you can drink a cup of blood as a standard action to fuel your magic, similar to a sorcerer gathering power. Heal hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (x2 at 5th level; x3 at 8th) + level. The next spell you cast this battle deals double damage. If that spell is a summoning spell, the creature you summon has advantage on its first attack, and that attack deals double damage.

Adventurer Feat When you cast an empowered necromancer spell, the target is vulnerable to it (+2 to your critical threat range). 

Champion Feat When you gather power, you can also save against a “save ends” effect.

Epic Feat You now heal your Charisma modifier x3 + twice your level.

Disgusting Display of Depravity

Once per day per Charisma modifier, when you cast a necromancer daily spell, also make a Charisma + Level attack vs. the highest MD of all nearby enemies. If you hit, all nearby enemies are struck by fear (-4 to attack and can’t use the escalation die) until the end of your next turn.

Adventurer Feat You have advantage on skill checks to intimidate or disgust people.

Champion Feat If you miss, you still affect all nearby mooks.

Epic Feat On a natural 17+, the fear effect is “save ends” against all enemies with fewer than 170 hit points.

Eternal Tormentor

Special: You cannot choose both this talent and the Redeemer talent.

Undead you summon deal extra damage equal to your level on a hit.

However, if an undead you summoned rolls a natural 1 on an attack, your control slips and it is free to act as it pleases (under GM control). Brainless undead like skeletons and zombies just shuffle off or attack the nearest living creature until destroyed, whereas intelligent undead like wraiths will try to get back at their tormentor. You cannot dismiss undead who have slipped from your control. As a standard action, you can attempt to regain control of your summoned undead with an Intelligence + Level vs. MD attack.

Adventurer Feat On a critical hit, your summoned undead deal 1d6 extra damage (2d6 at 5th level; 3d6 at 8th).

Champion Feat When you spend a quick action to allow a summoned undead to benefit from the escalation die (as per the summoning rules on page XX), it gains a +2 bonus to its critical threat range that round.

Epic Feat Your non-mook summoned undead deal 3d6 extra damage on normal hits too.

Grave Bond

Whenever you spend a recovery to heal, one nearby undead you summoned, or your skeletal minion, heals half of the amount.

Adventurer Feat You can choose to grant the full amount to the undead and heal half the amount yourself.

Champion Feat When you heal your summoned undead with this talent, the target also gains a +2 bonus to attacks and defenses until the end of your next turn.

Epic Feat All other undead under your control, except the primary target, heal a quarter of the amount.

Solemn Beauty

The first time an enemy rolls a save against an effect from your necromancer spells, increase the save DC by your Charisma modifier. This includes saves against ongoing damage. Note that a natural roll of 18+ always saves.

Adventurer Feat When an enemy fails a save against one of your spells, heal hit points equal to the spell level.

Champion Feat Once per scene, you gain advantage on a Charisma-based skill check, as you enthrall the target with your otherworldly presence.

Epic Feat Against mooks and normal-strength enemies, you always increase the save DC, not just the first.

Tomb Knight

You can wield one-handed martial melee weapons and wear shields and heavy armor without an attack penalty. Increase your base AC in heavy armor to 13.

You gain a 3-point background toward knightly virtues, such as heraldry, falconry, jousting, or courtly love.

Special: If you are a multiclassed necromancer, you now count as a “skillful warrior” and no longer reduce your WEAPON die from the necromancer side. However, you lose one necromancer spell slot of the highest level you can cast.

Adventurer Feat When wielding a shield, you can cast ranged necromancer spells without provoking opportunity attacks.

Champion Feat If you hit with your next melee attack after you cast a necromancer spell, you deal additional negative energy damage equal to the spell level. Only count the highest level spell, multiple spells do not stack.

Epic Feat You gain a +1 bonus to hit with necromancer spells against enemies you are engaged with.

Vigor Mortis

Increase your base PD to 11 and your base hit points to 7 + Con.

Once per day per Dexterity modifier (minimum 1), you can perform a bizarre freak show stunt with your body. Bend it in unnatural ways, pierce it, cough up bugs, maybe even detach and reattach a limb. If you stare into the disgusted faces of your fellow players, you are doing it right. This does not require a skill check, unless the GM decides to require one, such as for a particularly artistic execution. 

Adventurer Feat While staggered, increase your recovery dice to d8s.

Champion Feat You can expend one use of your stunt as an interrupt action to reduce the damage you take from a physical attack to half.

Epic Feat Gain three extra daily uses of your stunt.

Necromancer Spells

1st Level Spells

Bat Form

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Effect: You transform into a small, winged, bat-like creature with glowing red eyes. In bat form, you can fly, locate objects via echolocation, hunt insects, and sleep upside down, but you can’t really fight. Your small size and erratic movement makes you harder to hit (+2 AC), but if you take any damage, you revert back to your normal form. Otherwise, you can stay in bat form for up to a full day, or change back as a standard action any time. You cannot cast spells in bat form.

Champion Feat You can transform one ally per spell level into a bat.

Chill Touch

Close-quarters spell; At-will

Target: One enemy you are engaged with

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence cold damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

Miss: Damage equal to your level

3rd level spell: 3d8 damage

5th level spell: 5d8 damage

7th level spell: 7d8 damage

9th level spell: 10d8 damage

Champion Feat On a natural even hit, the target is dazed instead (-4 to attack) taking a -2 penalty.

Epic Feat Deal 15 damage to all other enemies you are engaged with.

Death’s Memory

Close-quarters spell; Recharge 17+

Effect: Touch a corpse of a creature to receive a vision of how it died. You can use this spell on other objects, too, to receive a vision of its connection to death, if any, for example a murder weapon.

Adventurer Feat The spell is now Recharge 13+.

Minor Drain

Ranged spell; Anti-Cyclic (cast once per battle OR at-will when the escalation die is odd)

Target: One nearby creature

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence negative energy damage, and you heal hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

Miss: Deal damage and heal hit points equal to your level.

3rd level spell: 3d4 damage

5th level spell: 5d4 damage

7th level spell: 7d4 damage

9th level spell: 9d4 damage

Adventurer Feat You can grant any healing that would go above your maximum hit points to a nearby ally instead.

Champion Feat Increase the damage dice to d6s.

Epic Feat Increase the damage dice to d8s.

Sense Death

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Effect: For the next 1d6 hours, you have a heightened awareness of the presence of death around you. You have advantage on skill checks to sense the presence of undead creatures and lingering spirits of the deceased. You also sense nearby dangers that have killed someone in the past, such as the deadly traps that protect an ancient tomb.

Adventurer Feat You can cast the spell on a nearby ally.

Spectral Hand

Close-quarters spell; Recharge 11+; Quick action

Effect: Create a floating hand of spectral matter that lasts until the end of the battle. The hand can engage a nearby enemy when you create it, and you can move it to a different enemy as a quick action. Through the hand, you can target this enemy with any of your spells, regardless of the spell’s normal range. The spell does not provoke opportunity attacks. The hand has your defenses, and hit points equal to twice the spell level. It ignores any damage except force and holy damage.

Adventurer Feat The hand can now engage far away enemies.

Champion Feat Spells cast through the hand deal extra damage equal to the Spectral Hand’s spell level.

Epic Feat You can move the hand as a free action on your turn.

Summon Blasphemous Watchdog

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon a skeletal hound (Core Book p. 246, 18 hp), as per the summoning rules on page XX. The hound acts as a watchdog for you or your possessions and joins you in combat until the next sunrise, or until its hit points are reduced to zero, whichever comes first.

3rd level spell: Summon a spectral hound instead.

Adventurer Feat If the hound is next to you, you have advantage on skill checks to notice impending dangers.

Champion Feat You can sense your hound barking over several miles distance.

Epic Feat Your hound can teleport next to you on command, regardless of where it is.

Spectral Hound

3rd level wrecker [Undead]; Initiative: +5

Savage bite +9 vs. AC—12 damage

Natural even hit or miss: The spectral hound can make an un-canine howl attack as a free action.

[Special trigger] C: Un-canine howl +9 vs. MD (1d3 nearby enemies in a group)—5 psychic damage

Resist physical damage 17+: The spectral nature of the hound lets it take half damage from attacks with mundane weapons unless the natural attack roll is 17+.

Spectral Hound Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Bite Damage

Howl damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

3

+9

12

5

17

16

12

28

5

+12

17

8

20

19

15

42

7

+14

30

13

22

21

17

66

9

+17

48

22

25

24

20

92

Summon Rotting Corpse

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon one rotting corpse, as per the summoning rules on page XX. The corpse 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 can summon higher level versions of the corpse.

Rotting Corpse

1st level undead [blocker]

Created by enough magic to animate it, but not enough to preserve it, a rotting corpse is a slow, festering, hulking mess that can be smelled from a mile away.

Putrid Fist +4 vs. AC—5 poison damage

Any natural even roll: (Putrid fumes) Deal 1d6 poison damage to your rotting corpse and all enemies engaged with it.

Slow: The rotting corpse has disadvantage on disengage checks.

Resist poison 17+; vulnerability holy

Adventurer Feat Trigger putrid fumes the first time the corpse is hit by an attack between each of your turns.

Champion Feat The first time your rotting corpse hits a target in a battle, the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Rotting Corpse Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Attack Damage

Fumes Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

1

+4

5

1d6

14

14

10

20

3

+7

8

2d6

16

16

12

30

5

+9

14

3d6

19

19

15

50

7

+12

21

4d6

21

21

17

82

9

+15

33

6d6

24

24

20

122

Summon Undead

(Note: This is the same spell as listed in 13 True Ways p. 86. This entry offers additional undead that you can summon with the spell.)

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon a mob of 1d3 + 1 crumbling skeleton mooks (13 True Ways p. 86) or 1d3 + 1 bone archers (below), as per the summoning rules on page XX. 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, you can summon the following mooks.

3rd level spell: 1d3 + 1 putrid zombie mooks (13TW) or 1d3 + 1 zombombies (below)

5th level spell: 1d3 + 1 starving ghoul mooks (13TW) or 1d3 + 1 skeletal mages (below)

7th level spell: 1d3 + 1 masterless vampire spawn mooks (13TW) or 1d3 + 1 giant skeletons (below)

9th level spell: 1d3 + 1 Blackamber skeletal warrior mooks (13TW) or 1d3 + 1 minor liches (below)

Bone Archer

1st level mook [Undead]; Initiative: +6

(Ranged) Skeletal Bow +6 vs. AC—3 damage

Vulnerability: holy; Resist weapons 15+

Mook: Kill one bone archer mook for every 5 damage you deal to the mob.

Bone Archer Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

1

+6

3

13

14

10

5

3

+8

6

15

16

12

8

5

+11

9

18

19

15

12

7

+13

16

20

21

17

18

9

+16

24

23

24

20

27

Zombombie

3rd level mook [Undead]; Initiative: +2

Putrid claw +7 vs. AC—5 poison damage

C: Putrid explosion +7 vs. PD—(When the zombombie is killed, against all enemies engaged with it) 2d10 poison damage

Miss: Half damage

Always: 1d10 poison damage to each ally engaged with at least one target

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

Vulnerability: holy

Mook: Kill one zombombie mook for every 12 damage you deal to the mob.

Zombombie Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Attack Damage

Explosion Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

3

+7

5

2d10/1d10

13

14

10

12

5

+10

8

3d10/2d6

16

17

13

16

7

+12

14

4d10/2d10

18

19

15

22

9

+15

21

6d10/3d10

21

22

18

30

Skeletal Mage

5th level mook [Undead]; Initiative: +9

When you summon a skeletal mage, roll 1d4 to determine its element: (1) fire (2) cold (3) lightning (4) poison.

(Ranged) Bone Magic +9 vs. PD—10 [random element] damage, +3 for each other nearby skeletal mage

Vulnerability: holy; resist [random element] 13+

Mook: Kill one skeletal mage mook for every 20 damage you deal to the mob.

Skeletal Mage Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

5

+9

10 + 3/mage

17

15

19

20

7

+11

15 + 5/mage

19

17

21

32

9

+14

22 + 8/mage

22

20

24

50


Giant Skeleton

7th level mook [Undead]; Initiative: +10

Giant Femur Club +9 vs. AC—25 damage

Vulnerability: holy; Resist weapons 15+

Mook: Kill one giant skeleton mook for every 33 damage you deal to the mob.

Giant Skeleton Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

7

+9

25

21

20

16

33

9

+12

40

23

22

18

55

Minor Lich

9th level mook [Undead]; Initiative: +15

(Ranged) Finger of Death +15 vs. PD—30 negative energy damage. If the target has 30 or less hit points after the hit, it dies.

Vulnerability: holy; Resist negative energy 15+

AC 22, PD 17, MD 21, HP 30 (mook)

Mook: Kill one minor lich mook for every 30 damage you deal to the mob.

Teeth

Ranged spell; At-will

Target: Two nearby enemies

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence negative energy damage

Miss:

3rd level spell: 1d10 damage

5th level spell: 2d10 damage

7th level spell: 3d10 damage

9th level spell: 4d10 damage

Adventurer Feat If both attacks hit, heal hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (x2 at 5th level, x3 at 8th) to a nearby undead under your control.

Champion Feat Deal 1d10 extra damage against staggered enemies. (8th level: 2d10)

Epic Feat Add your level to the healing effect.

Thirsting Blades

Close-quarters spell; At-will

Target: Two nearby melee weapons

Effect: The next time the wielder of the weapon hits with an attack, they can choose to pay 2 hit points. If they do, the attack deals 2d6 extra damage.

3rd level spell: 3 hit points; 2d10 extra damage

5th level spell: 5 hit points; 3d10 extra damage

7th level spell: 8 hit points; 4d12 extra damage

9th level spell: 13 hit points; 1d8 x 10 extra damage

Adventurer Feat The wielder of the weapon can choose to pay the hit points before making the attack. If they do, they gain a +1 bonus to the attack.

Toxic Steel

Melee attack; At-will

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Strength + Intelligence poison damage

Natural 17+: 3 ongoing poison damage

Miss: Your level in damage

3rd level spell: 5 ongoing poison damage

5th level spell: 10 ongoing poison damage

7th level spell: 15 ongoing poison damage

9th level spell: 25 ongoing poison damage

Adventurer Feat Deal extra damage equal to your Intelligence modifier on a miss.

Champion Feat Deal ongoing damage on a natural 15+.

3rd Level Spells

Blade of Suffering

Melee attack; At-will

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Intelligence negative energy damage. Until the start of your next turn, the target takes 1d8 extra damage from your allies’ attacks.

Miss: Your level in damage

5th level spell: 2d8 extra damage

7th level spell: 3d8 extra damage

9th level spell: 4d8 extra damage

Adventurer Feat Increase the extra damage to d10s.

Blood Donation

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle; Quick action

Effect: One nearby willing ally can spend a recovery and make a recovery roll, except you gain the healing. If no nearby ally is willing, deal 1 point of damage to all nearby creatures and you heal hit points equal to your level.

Bone Armor

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Effect: Until the end of the battle, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. Once per round, when you reduce a non-mook enemy below zero hit points, or the last of a group of mooks, increase the armor bonus by +1. The maximum bonus from this spell is +4.

7th level spell: The maximum bonus is now +5.

Adventurer Feat You can increase the armor bonus when an ally reduces a non-mook enemy below zero hit points, but still only once per round.

Champion Feat Also gain the bonus to PD.

Bone Spear

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle; Chain spell

Target: One nearby creature

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence negative energy damage

Miss: Negative energy damage equal to your level

5th level spell: 5d8 damage

7th level spell: 7d8 damage

9th level spell: 10d8 damage

Chain spell: Each time your natural attack roll is even, you can attack a different target with the spell.

Adventurer Feat If you are engaged with the first target of the spell, gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll against it.

Champion Feat Deal 1d8 extra damage on the first attack (8th level: 2d8).

Brittle Bones

Ranged spell; Daily; Quick action

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: Melee attacks against the target deal 1d12 extra damage, and the target cannot resist damage from melee attacks (hard save 16+ ends).

Miss: The next melee attack against the target before the end of your next turn deals 1d12 extra damage.

5th level spell: 2d12 extra damage

7th level spell: 3d12 extra damage

9th level spell: 4d12 extra damage

Adventurer Feat The spell is now Recharge 17+ after battle.

Deathrattle

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle; Interrupt action

Trigger: You are reduced below zero hit points by an attack.

Target: Your attacker

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: Psychic damage equal to the damage of the attack that brought you below zero hit points, or 5 times the spell level (whichever is higher).

Natural even hit: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Natural odd hit: Deal half damage to 1d3 nearby enemies.

Miss: Half damage

Champion Feat On an even hit, the target is weakened instead. On an odd hit, target 1d4 nearby enemies.

Ghoul Touch

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle

Target: One enemy you are engaged with

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 3d12 + Intelligence negative energy damage.

Natural 19+: The target is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Miss: Half damage

5th level spell: 5d12 damage, stun on natural 17+

7th level spell: 7d12 damage, stun on natural 15+

9th level spell: 10d12 damage, stun on natural 13+

Champion Feat After the stun ends, the target is hampered until the end of its next turn.

Orb of Unlife

Ranged spell; At-will

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence negative energy damage. If one nearby ally is willing to sacrifice 1d8 hit points, deal extra damage equal to that amount.

Miss: Damage equal to your level

5th level spell: 5d8 damage; sacrifice 2d8

7th level spell: 7d8 damage; sacrifice 3d8

9th level spell: 10d8 damage; sacrifice 4d8

Adventurer Feat Deal extra damage equal to twice the amount of sacrificed hit points.

Shared Pain

Ranged attack; Once per battle

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: Starting with you, you and each nearby ally can choose to pay any number of hit points into the spell. For every 5 hit points paid in total, deal 1d20 damage to the enemy target, up to a maximum of 4d20.

Miss: As a hit, but deal 1d8 damage for each hit point paid (up to 4d8).

5th level spell: Up to 6d20 / 6d8 damage

7th level spell: Up to 9d20 / 9d8 damage

9th level spell: Up to 15d20 / 15d8 damage

Champion Feat You can cast this spell as an interrupt when an enemy is making an attack against you. It resolves before the attack.

Summon Flesh Golem

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon one flesh golem, as per the summoning rules on page XX. The golem 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 can summon higher level versions.

Flesh Golem

3rd level undead [troop]

Hastily patched together, and just as likely to patch itself up with chunks of meat ripped from its enemies, or to fall apart as it strikes. At least its smell doesn’t kill.

Meaty Hook +9 vs. AC—10 damage. If the golem is staggered, it heals 1d10 hp.

Energy magnet: When a ranged or close-quarter attack that causes cold, fire, force, lightning, or negative energy damage targets you or a nearby ally, the flesh golem has a 50% chance of becoming the main target instead.

Adventurer Feat Whenever the golem redirects an energy attack to itself, it deals half of the redirected attack’s damage to all enemies it is engaged with.

Flesh Golem Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

Healing

AC

PD

MD

HP

3

+9

10

1d10

18

18

14

28

5

+12

15

2d10

21

21

17

44

7

+14

25

3d10

24

24

19

72

9

+17

45

4d10

26

26

22

108

Visions of Grief

Close-quarters spell; Recharge 13+ after the scene

Target: A nearby person

Effect: You receive a short vision of the strongest feelings that the target has towards a deceased person. The emotions can range the whole gamut from regret, to anger, to longing and love.

5th Level Spells

Aura of Forbiddance

Close-quarters spell; Recharge 17+ after battle; Quick action

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, enemies must succeed at a hard save (16+) to engage or attack you. If they fail, they take psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (x2 at 5th level; x3 at 8th), they are struck by fear (-4 to attack, can’t use the escalation die) and can’t engage you until the end of your next turn. Enemies who successfully saved against the effect are immune to the spell until the end of the battle.

After the end of your next turn, the spell effect continues, but the save is now a normal save (11+). The following turn, it is an easy save (6+), after which the spell ends.

Champion Feat The spell is now Recharge 13+.

Epic Feat You can cast this spell as a free action when you roll initiative.

Bone Wall

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Effect: You create a barrier of piled-up bones across the battlefield that lasts until the end of the battle. The barrier is tall enough to reach a 10-foot-high ceiling and block a 20-foot-wide corridor. It takes a move action and a normal difficulty skill check to climb to the top of the barrier. It is possible to shoot through the barrier with disadvantage on the attack roll.

Enemies can deal 10 times the spell level in damage to the barrier to create a hole that is big enough for a normal-sized creature to squeeze through.

Champion Feat You can use your own spells through the barrier without disadvantage.

Corpse Explosion

Close-quarters spell; Daily; Interrupt action

Trigger: A nearby non-mook creature, or the last of a group of mooks, dies

Target: The 1d3 enemies closest to the killed creature. You can cast this spell recklessly to target 1d6 enemies instead.

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 3d6 fire damage, multiplied by the level of the killed creature

Miss: Half damage

Reckless miss: Your allies engaged with the missed target take 1d6 fire damage per level of the killed creature.

Champion Feat When casting this spell recklessly, target a number of creatures equal to the d6 roll or the escalation die, whichever is higher.

Dark Conduit

Close-quarters spell; Daily; Quick action

Target: A nearby ally

Effect: Until the end of the battle, the target deals 2d6 extra negative energy damage on a hit with a melee attack. Both you and the target heal hit points equal to half the extra damage.

7th level spell: 2d10 extra damage

9th level spell: 4d8 extra damage

Champion Feat The spell is now Recharge 17+ after battle.

Death Mark

Melee attack; Once per battle

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. AC

Hit: WEAPON + Strength + Intelligence negative energy damage. Your attack rolls against the target have advantage (save ends).

Miss: Your level in damage

Champion Feat On a miss, the spell is not expended.

Epic Feat The target is also vulnerable to your attacks (save ends both).

Spirit Shield

Close-quarters spell; Daily; Quick action

Target: You or a nearby ally

Effect: The target spends a recovery and gains temporary hit points equal to the recovery roll. Until the end of the battle, whenever the target is hit by an attack, protective spirits deal negative energy damage equal to the spell level to the attacker.

Champion Feat The target makes a save (11+). On a success, the recovery is free.

Summon Bone Pile

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon one animated pile of bones, as per the summoning rules on page XX. The pile 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 can summon higher level versions.

Bone Pile

5th level undead [troop]

A hulking, unstructured pile of bones that can split and merge at will.

Bone Whip +12 vs. AC, 2 attacks—9 damage

Natural even hit: The target is chained to the pile.  A chained target has disadvantage on disengage checks and the pile has advantage on attacks against it (a successful save or disengage check ends the effect).

Strangle: At the start of its turn, the pile can make one attack against each creature chained to it as a free action.

Split: The bone pile can split itself into two creatures as a quick action. Each half-pile only has only one attack per standard action, and half of the hit points from before the split. A half-pile can’t split again.

Merge: If the two halves are not engaged, they can merge as a free action on your turn. If they do, add the hit points of both halves, and they regain the ability to make two attacks.

Champion Feat If a nearby creature with bones in it (such as a humanoid) is killed, it heals hit points equal to your level. If the pile is split, only one half can gain the benefit.

Epic Feat The pile can rattle as a quick action. When it does, it makes its next attack against MD instead of AC.

Bone Pile Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

5

+12

9

22

21

17

48

7

+14

13

24

23

19

72

9

+17

21

27

26

22

108

Summon Bone Rider

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon Bone Rider, as per the summoning rules on page XX. The undead fights for you until the end of the battle or until it drops to 0 hp, whichever comes first.

7th level spell: Summon a headless knight

9th level spell: Summon a ghost rider

Bone Rider

5th level troop [Undead]; Initiative: +7

Bone blade +10 vs. AC—20 damage

Mounted advantage: Against unmounted, normal-size and smaller targets, the bone rider gains a +2 bonus to attack and deals +1d8 damage.

Give chase: On open terrain, enemies have disadvantage on disengage checks against the bone rider.

Vulnerability: holy; Resist weapons 15+

Bone Rider Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

5

+10

20

20

19

15

50

7

+12

35

22

21

17

85

9

+15

58

25

24

20

125

Underworld Lightning Rod

Ranged spell; Recharge 16+; Quick action

Target: All nearby allied undead you control (including yourself if you are undead)

Effect: The targets gain resist negative energy and lightning 15+ until the end of the battle. Whenever the resistance reduces damage, the target heals hit points equal to this spell’s level.

Champion Feat The resistance also includes fire, cold, and thunder damage.

Vampiric Touch

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Target: One enemy you are engaged with

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: Heal using a free recovery, and deal damage to the target equal to the hit points healed.

Miss: Necrotic damage and healing equal to your level

Champion Feat Gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll if the target is staggered.

Epic Feat Increase your recovery dice to d12s for this spell.

7th Level Spells

Blood Command

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: 6d6 + Intelligence negative energy damage, and you heal hit points equal to half the amount of damage dealt. If the target has 100 hp or less after taking damage, you control the target on its next turn. If you give the target a suicidal command, it can immediately save against the effect.

Miss: Necrotic damage equal to your level

9th level spell: 10d8 damage; 150 hp or less

Champion Feat Gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll if the target is staggered.

Epic Feat Increase your recovery dice to d12s for this spell.

Blood Tithe

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: Whenever the target takes ongoing damage from any source, you heal hit points equal to the ongoing damage dealt (save ends).

Miss: You regain the spell at the end of the battle.

Champion Feat At the end of its turn, the target has to decide whether it wants to save against ongoing damage effects or this spell. It can’t do both.

Bone Prison

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: One nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD

Hit: The target is caught in a bone prison. It cannot engage enemies outside of the prison, but ranged and close-quarters attacks are still possible. The prison is destroyed if 20 times the spell’s level in damage is dealt to it.

Miss: You create the prison but fail to catch the enemy with it.

Champion Feat You can target 1d3 enemies in a group with this spell, but that also targets all creatures engaged to them, and the targets can’t be large or bigger.

Desperate vengeance

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Special: When you cast this spell, add one failed death save to the number you failed this battle. For each ally willing to do the same, increase the number of targets by one.

Target: One nearby or far away enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD. For each ally who is currently unconscious and gave up a death save, you gain advantage on one attack roll.

Hit: Negative energy damage equal to half the target’s total hit points (up to 444 damage).

Miss: Negative energy damage equal to a quarter of the target’s total hit points (up to 222 damage).

9th level spell: Up to 666 / 333 damage.

Hails from the Grave

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Target: 1d3 nearby enemies in a group

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

Hit: 8d8 + Intelligence psychic damage. If the target has 200 hp or less after taking damage, it is also confused (save ends).

Miss: Half damage, and no confusion

9th level spell: 8d12 damage; confused up to 400 hp

Champion Feat Deal 3d8 psychic damage to 1d3 other nearby enemies.

One Foot in the Grave

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You, any undead you have summoned, and up to 4 nearby allies teleport to a crypt or graveyard that you have visited before. Any living creatures travelling with you must succeed at a save or lose a recovery (if they have any). You can teleport up to one mile per point of Intelligence modifier.

9th level spell: You can teleport up to 100 miles per point of Intelligence modifier.

Epic Feat You can teleport twice as many creatures OR you can teleport living beings without causing them to lose a recovery.

Scythe of the Reaper

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Target: A random nearby enemy

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD. Gain advantage on the attack roll against staggered enemies.

Hit: 2d8 x 10 negative energy damage

Miss: Half damage

9th level spell: 3d8 x 10 damage

Champion Feat If the escalation die is 3+, you can cast this spell as a free action, even when it is not your turn.

Soulbound Return

Ranged spell; Daily

Target: A dead ally

Effect: You or a living, willing ally binds some of their own life force into the body of the deceased target to bring them back to life. This is a strenuous experience that puts a heavy toll on both the giver and the recipient. Both permanently lose a recovery, they roll one less die for recoveries.

The resurrected target randomly chooses an ability score and reduces it by 2, and gains the necromancer Sorta Dead talent as a bonus talent. In their zombie-like state, they retain their own consciousness and free will, but their life is now forever linked to the giver. Whenever the giver takes damage and the resurrected ally is nearby, they can force their ally to take half of that damage.

If the resurrected ally is killed again, they can only be brought back as a mindless zombie.

Summon Blood Golem

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: You summon one blood golem, as per the summoning rules on page XX. The golem 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 can summon higher level versions.

Blood Golem

7th level undead [troop]

Blood golems are created from large quantities of blood, and they feed on the blood of the creatures they slay.

Scabbed Claws +14 vs. AC—6d6 damage. Your golem heals hit points equal to the sum of all damage dice that come up even, and you heal hit points equal to the sum of all damage dice that come up odd.

Blood-activated: When you summon a blood golem, spend a recovery without healing.

Golem immunity: The golem can’t be dazed, weakened, confused, made vulnerable, or touched by ongoing damage.

Blood Golem Level Advancement

Level

Attack

Damage

AC

PD

MD

HP

7

+14

6d6

24

24

20

70

9

+17

9d6

27

27

23

115

9th Level Spells

Angel of Death

Close-quarters spell; Daily; Quick action

Effect: You grow black raven wings that allow you to fly until the end of the battle. The first time you hit an enemy with an attack each turn, that enemy also takes 25 ongoing negative energy damage.

Epic Feat If the enemy is staggered, deal 40 ongoing damage instead and the save is a hard save (16+).

Blood Vortex

Ranged spell; Daily

Special: If you have 50 hit points or less, you can cast Blood Vortex at-will.

Target: One nearby enemy per point of Charisma modifier

Attack: Intelligence + level vs. PD

Hit: 2d8 x 10 + Intelligence negative energy damage

Miss: Half damage

Creeping Madness

Close-quarters spell; Daily

Effect: Until the end of the battle, poisonous fumes from the deepest recesses of the Underworld pour onto the battlefield. At the start of their turn, each enemy on the battlefield takes 30 poison damage (save for half). Allies must succeed at an easy save (6+) or take 10 poison damage.

Any creature that is reduced to 0 hp or below by the poison remains conscious, but they are confused (attacking their own allies). If a confused creature takes damage, or if they are healed above zero hit points, the confusion effect ends. Confused creatures take no damage from the poison.

Epic Feat Increase the damage against enemies who fail their save by 5 times the escalation die.

Return Stronger Than Ever Before

Close-quarters spell; Recharge 17+; No action

Trigger: You succeed at a death save (you can cast this spell while unconscious)

Effect: Immediately spend a recovery to heal. The first necromancer spell you cast after the start of your next turn deals double damage OR summons twice as many creatures.

Epic Feat Heal twice the amount of hit points on a save.

Siphon Ultimate Power

Ranged spell; Daily

Effect: Ask one nearby ally per point of escalation die if they are willing to support your casting of the spell. For each willing ally, you gain an extra standard action this turn, and you can use one of their spells or powers. If that power is not at-will, it is expended. You can replace any ability score in the power’s description with Intelligence. You only gain the spell or power itself, no other abilities or bonuses that are not part of the description, unless they are required for it to work.

After casting this spell, you take a -1 penalty to all attacks and defenses for each extra action you took (save ends).

Summon Dracolich

Ranged spell; Daily

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

(Summoned) Dracolich

9th level caster [Undead, Dragon]; Initiative: +14

Bone Claws +14 vs. AC, 2 attacks—20 damage

Natural 5 or less: The Dracolich can use its Blight Breath attack on its next turn. 

(Special) C: Blight Breath +13 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—20 negative energy damage, and the target is blighted. Blighted enemies take half of the damage they deal with their next attack.

Vulnerability: holy; Flight

AC 25, PD 22, MD 22, HP 130

Errata

[p137] Bloodseeker: “If you cast a summoning spell, …” -> “If that spell is a summoning spell, …”

[P147] Siphon Ultimate Power: “Ask each nearby ally” -> “Ask one nearby ally per point of escalation die”

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Dark Alleys & Twisted Paths. © 2019, Kinoko Games

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