Arcane Tradition:
School of Necromancy Revised
The School of Necromancy explores the cosmic forces of life, death, and undeath. As you focus your studies in this tradition, you learn to manipulate the energy that animates all living things. As you progress, you learn to sap the life force from a creature as your magic destroys its body, transforming that vital energy into magical power you can manipulate.
Most people see necromancers as menacing, or even villainous, due to the close association with death. Not all necromancers are evil, but the forces they manipulate are considered taboo by many societies.
Necromancy Savant
Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a necromancy spell into your spellbook is halved.
Grim Harvest
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to reap life energy from creatures you kill with your spells. Once per turn, when you kill one or more creatures with a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to twice the spell’s level, or three times its level if the spell belongs to the School of Necromancy. You don’t gain this benefit for killing constructs or undead.
Undying Thralls
At 6th level, you add either the Summon Undead spell or the Animate Dead spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. When you cast animate dead, you can target one additional corpse or pile of bones, creating another zombie or skeleton, as appropriate.
Whenever you create undead using a Necromancy spell, undead you create gain the following benefits:
- The creature’s hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your wizard level.
- The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its weapon damage rolls.
Inured To Undeath
At 10th level, your studies are beginning to bear fruit. You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and age half as quickly. You no longer need to breathe, eat, or drink. You also cannot have your maximum hit points lowered unless you choose for them to be.
Additionally, any undead under the effect of your Undying Thralls feature have advantage on their saving throws against effects that would turn undead.
Undying Fortitude
At 14th level, you have trained your presence to not waver at death's door. While you are at 0 hit points, you remain fully aware of your environment.
Additionally, When you are at 0 hit points, you can choose to rise at the start of your turn. You regain hit points equal to twice your Intelligence modifier. If you are prone, you can rise without spending any movement.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Sorcerer Origin:
Gravelord Sorcerer
Your magic comes from a force that may lie within you, or for which you might simply act as an outlet - a wellspring of dark, necromantic power within your veins. You could come from a long line of necromancers, your blood steeped in their dark experiments; you could have been exposed to a Shadow Crossing or abandoned there; you could even have some blasphemous familial history with a lich, born with some part of you just dead enough to sustain you. Regardless, this bottomless pit of necromancy persists within you.
Gravelord Magic
The negative energy within you allows you to learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the necromantic spells table. Each spell counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. These spells can’t be replaced when you gain a level in this class.
Gravelord Spells
| Sorcerer Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Ray of Sickness |
| 3rd | Blindness/Deafness |
| 5th | Summon Undead |
| 7th | Blight |
| 9th | Raise Dead |
Necromantic Sorcery
Your link to necromancy allows you to learn spells from the school of necromancy. When your Spellcasting feature lets you learn or replace a sorcerer cantrip or sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose a new spell from the school of necromancy even if it is not on the sorcerer spell list. You must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting the spell, and it becomes a sorcerer spell for you.
Among the Dead
Beginning at 1st level, you're more undead than alive. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC (an undead needn’t make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack or spell. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. An undead is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if you target it with an attack or a harmful spell.
Strength of the Grave
Starting at 1st level, your existence is perpetually at death's door. You are both closer to it at all times, and harder to thrust into death's gaping maw. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you can make a Charisma saving throw (DC 5 + the damage taken). On a success, you instead drop to 1 hit point. You can’t use this feature if you are reduced to 0 hit points by radiant damage or by a critical hit.
After the saving throw succeeds, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Ebb and Flow
Beginning at 6th level, you've learned the push and pull of life and death. You can use one of the following effects by expending 2 sorcery points:
Weal. As a bonus action on your turn, you can regain hit points equal to twice your Charisma modifier.
Woe. Whenever you deal damage to a creature with a spell you cast, you can deal additional necrotic damage equal to your half your Sorcerer level (no action required)
Morbid Form
At 6th level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage.
Corpse Walk
Beginning at 14th level, you've learned to move even when your body fails you. Whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you do not fall unconscious. You must still make death saving throws, but can otherwise move and act like normal. This feature does not function if you are reduced to 0 hit points by radiant damage or a critical hit.
Everlong
At 14th level, for every 10 years you age you only age one year.
Bane of Life
Beginning at 18th level, you've learned to release your own baleful energy to decimate life around you. As an action, you can expend 6 sorcery points. When you do so, a 30 foot radius sphere centered on you blights those within. This sphere follows you and any creature inside this space suffers the following effects:
- They cannot regain hit points.
- When a creature first moves into the sphere, or starts its turn there, they suffer necrotic damage equal to half your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier.
When you use this feature, you can designate a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier to be spared its effects.
Otherworldly Patron:
The Undying Revised
Death holds no sway over your patron, who has unlocked the secrets of everlasting life, although such a prize—like all power—comes at a price. Once mortal, the Undying has seen mortal lifetimes pass like the seasons, like the flicker of endless days and nights. It has the secrets of the ages to share, secrets of life and death. Beings of this sort include Vecna, Lord of the Hand and the Eye; the dread Iuz; the lich-queen Vol; the Undying Court of Aerenal; Vlaakith, lich-queen of the githyanki; and the deathless wizard Fistandantalus.
In the Realms, Undying patrons include Larloch the Shadow King, legendary master of Warlock’s Crypt, and Gilgeam, the God-King of Unther.
Expanded Spell List
The Undying lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Undying Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | false life, ray of sickness |
| 2nd | blindness/deafness, phantasmal force |
| 3rd | speak with dead, phantom steed |
| 4th | death ward, greater invisibility |
| 5th | antilife shell, cloudkill |
Among The Dead
Beginning at 1st level, undead have difficulty harming you. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC (an undead needn’t make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack or spell. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. An undead is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if you target it with an attack or a harmful spell.
Miniature Phylactory
Also at 1st level, your patron has gifted you a vessel to store your own vitality. This vessel, called a phylactory, is a tiny object with an AC of 15 and hit points equal to your Warlock level. You determine the appearance of it. While holding our phylactory, you gain the following benefits:
Transfer Damage. As a reaction to taking damage, you can transfer any or all of the damage to your phylactory, letting it take the damage instead.
Sense Death. As an action on your turn, you can heighten your senses to the presence of death around you. While in this state, you are blinded and deafened to your own surroundings, but are immediately aware of any deaths that have recently occurred within 50 feet of you. You also learn the following information about departed of your choosing: Their time and location of death and whether said death was violent or not. You perceive the departed at the moment of their death, not as their ghost, but a shadow of their moment of passing. You can exit this state as an action.
You can enter this state a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain spent uses on a short or long rest.
If your phylactory is reduced to 0 hit points, it is destroyed. During a long rest, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to request a new phylactory from your patron, which appears in front of you.
Mockery Of Life
Beginning at 6th level, your mastery of negative energy increases. You have resistance to necrotic damage. Additionally, when you deal necrotic damage with a spell, or when a creature you summon deals damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to one roll of the triggering spell, attack or effect to one of its targets.
Mockery Of Death
Beginning at 10th level, you no longer require food, drink or air to survive, though you must still rest normally. For every 10 years that you age, you only age 1 year instead.
Additionally, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can harvest a portion of their soul and trap it within your phylactory. You can spend this soul shard to cast a spell from your expanded spell list without expending a spell slot. You do not have to know the spell to cast it, and you can only cast it at the highest level you have warlock spell slots for.
Soul shards depart from your phylactory whenever you complete a short or long rest. You can store a number of soul shards in your phylactory equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one).
Necrotic Plague
Beginning at 14th level, you've learned to turn one death into many. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a spell of 1st level or higher, you can summon forth a surge of negative energy from their corpse. Each creature within 15 feet of the corpse must make a Constitution saving throw against your Warlock Save DC, taking necrotic damage equal to your Warlock level on a failed save, or half as much on a success. Foes killed by minions you have summoned with your spells are valid targets for this feature.
Whenever you use this feature, you can choose a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier to be spared the harmful effects of the blast. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining spent uses on a long rest.
Fetid Nail
Necromancy Cantrip (Corpse Magic)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: S, M (the caster's own nails)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Two of your nails blacken before launching at a target, each nail hitting a target of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack roll for each nail launched. On hit, you deal 1d6 necrotic damage. After a nail is launched by this spell, it regrows instantaneously.
The number of nails you can fire increases by one at 5th level, 11th level and 17th level.
Crimson Splatter
Necromancy Cantrip (Hemomancy)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: S, M (your own blood)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
You splash a number of creatures within range with your own blood, commanding your vital essence to boil and steam. Choose one creature within range, or choose two creatures within range that are within 5 feet of each other. A target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. If they fail, they take 1d6 acid damage and their speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of their next turn. On a successful save they take half as much damage and their speed is not reduced.
This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
Blood Spear
1st-Level Necromancy (Hemomancy)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 80 feet
- Components: V, S, M (your own blood)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
You hurl a bloody spear of your own essence at a target within range. Make a ranged spell attack roll. On hit, that creature takes 2d6 piercing damage and 1d6 necrotic damage. Additionally, their speed is halved until the end of their next turn.
At Higher Levels. Whenever you cast this spell using a 2nd level slot or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 1d6 for every slot level above 1st.
Pillar Of Bone
2nd-Level Necromancy (Corpse Magic)
- Castinjg Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (the finger bone of a creature)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
You summon a pillar of sharpened bone from beneath your enemies feet to impale them. Choose a creature you can see within range to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure the creature is pierced through; being restrained and lifted 10 ft. into the air as well as taking 4d6 piercing damage. The target can make a Strength saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns, freeing itself on a success. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and suffers no other effects.
At Higher Levels. Whenever you cast this spell using a 3rd level slot or higher, the piercing damage increases by 1d6 for every slot level above 2nd.
Corpse Lance
2nd-Level Necromancy (Corpse Magic)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (the tooth of a creature who died a violent death)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Choose one corpse within range. A chunk of that corpse becomes a deadly projectile of blood and viscera, flying at a target within 90 feet of it. That target must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 piercing damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and are not knocked prone. Once a corpse has been used to cast this spell, it cannot be used for another spell that requires a corpse again. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by this spell, you can recast the spell using the newly created corpse without expending a spell slot (no action required).
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for every slot level above 1st.
Blood Rain
2nd-Level Necromancy (Hemomancy)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (your own blood)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
- Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
You cause it to rain blood in a 60 foot cylinder centered on you. Whenever a creature starts its turn in the rain, you can choose to empower them with false life (no action required), granting them 1d4+1 temporary hit points.
At Higher Levels. Whenever you cast this spell using a 3rd level slot of higher, the temporary hit points increase by 1d4 for every slot level above 2nd.
Blood Ball
3rd-Level Necromancy (Hemomancy)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood from a creature who died of illness)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
- Classes: Wizard
You create a floating sphere of blood that hovers near your head. When this sphere is first created, it has a pool of 6 d6s. As part of the action used to cast this spell, or as an action while concentrating on this spell, you can command the sphere to fire any and all of its d6s of blood at a target. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, it takes necrotic damage equal to the number of D6s used. On a success, they take half the damage instead.
As a bonus action, you can draw the blood of any recently deceased corpses within 60 feet of you to fuel the sphere. For every creature drained in this way, the sphere gains another d6 of blood. A corpse can only be drained in this way once, must have blood to be drained, and the sphere can only hold a maximum 10 d6s. For every turn that the sphere is active, it gains a d6 and adds it to the pool.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 4th level slot or higher, the starting pool and maximum pool increase by 1d6 for every slot level above 3rd.
Blood Doll
6th-Level Necromancy (Hemomancy)
- Casting Time: 1 hour
- Range: 5 feet
- Components: V, S, M * (the caster's own blood, a doll in the image of the person to be copied and an ornate mask worth at least 500 gp)
- Duration: 1 week
- Classes: Wizard
You conjure a perfect replica of another beast or humanoid that is within range for the entire casting time of the spell. The duplicate is a creature, partially real and formed from blood, and it can take actions and otherwise be affected as a normal creature. It appears to be the same as the original, but is formed without any equipment. Otherwise, the blood doll uses all the statistics of the creature it copied, with the exception of being an undead.
The blood doll is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat. The blood doll lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities. It cannot speak, nor can it attack or cast spells.
If the beast or humanoid used to create the blood doll takes damage, they can choose to transfer any or all of the damage taken to the blood doll instead (no action required). The blood doll cannot be healed by conventional means such as healing spells or potions.
As an action, you can don the mask used in the casting of this spell, seeing through the blood doll's eyes and hearing what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the blood doll has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses.
If you cast this spell again, any blood dolls you created with this spell are instantly destroyed.
Changelog
V.1
Revised School of Necromancy Wizard
Changed the Level 6 feature to allow you to learn Summon Undead instead. This is meant to encourage a more manageable playstyle where you summon singular undead rather than gathering a hoard.
Changed the Level 10 feature. It now slows your aging, and makes it so you no longer require air, food or drink. Any undead you animate also have advantage on saving throws against features that would turn undead.
Added a new capstone focused around becoming more undead yourself. The original capstone was a niche one used to increase your hoard. I believe that a bigger part of Necromancy Wizard's narrative is becoming undead. The new capstone allows you to recover from being knocked unconscious, recovering hit points and rising to your feet.
Sorcerous Origin: Gravelord
- Added Gravelord Sorcerer, a Sorcerous Origin where your heritage is steeped in Necromancy
Otherworldy Patron: The Undying Revised
- Added Revised Undying Warlock. The narrative of Undying Warlock feels fine to me (being in service to a powerful undead, and learning to copy their traits. Features are built around being tankier and dealing damage). However the original was very weak, and was basically completely outclassed by Celestial Warlock which ironically did everything Undying was doing better; mechanically or otherwise.
New Necromancy Spells
- Added new necromancy spells
V.1.2
Revised School of Necromancy Wizard
- Changed Summon Undead Spirit to Summon Undead
Sorcerous Origin: Gravelord
- Adjusted flavor text for Bane of Life Capstone to more accurately represent what the feature does.
Otheworldly Patron: The Undying Revised
- Reworked Among The Dead, splitting it into two features. Among The Dead is the feature relating to undead having trouble attacking you. Miniature Phylactory contains your ability to transfer damage to a small object. Added a new ribbon to Miniature Phylactory allowing you to sense death around you.
- Changed Mockery of Life. Now a summoned creature does not have to deal necrotic to deal the additional damage.
- Changed Mockery of Death. You can now only cast spells from your Expanded Spell List with your Spirit Shards. Additionally, it just looks nicer.
New Spells
- Removed Red Needle, as it shared a very similar design space to Toll The Dead and I couldn't figure out how to differentiate it.
- Added Fetid Nail, a new Necromancy Cantrip for Wizards that want to damage multiple targets.
- Crimson Splatter now has increased range (though still not as much as Acid Splash) and reduces the targets speed by 10 instead of 5.
- Blood Spear now halves the targets speed, rather than reducing it by 10.
- Corpse Lance is now 2nd Level, being buffed accordingly. The wording was adjusted to be similar to catapult.
- Blood Ball was too inconsistent. It became really strong with a lot of corpses but was too weak without them. It has been changed so that it starts with more dice, and regains a d6 every turn. The spell now no longer ends when you run out of D6s.
- Added new spell; Blood Doll, a Necromancy spell inspired by Simulacrum.
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