Necromancer 2e Spells and Abilities

This is the 0.9 rules for the custom Necromancer 2e Class. Consider this a beta version and unfinished.

Life Force: HP > From the material plane. Traditional bodily life.

Spiritual Force: SP > From the spirit plane. Traditional spirit / mind / soul.

Note: Necromancers don't use Spell Levels. Levels here refer to their class level instead.

LEVEL 1[]

Drain Life[]

HP: -
SP: 1 year
Convert target HP into caster HP at an unfavorable ratio of 2:1. Drains HP at a rate of 2 per round. Once started, it can be channeled without having to pay the casting cost again. The target must be bound, restrained, held, willing, or otherwise not resisting the caster in order for the channel to continue round to round. Physical contact must be maintained. When a creature hits 0 hp, no more life can be drained from them and they are dying (although not yet dead).

Detect Spirits[]

HP: 1 hp
SP: -
By shredding some of their life force and scattering it to the winds, the caster can follow the path it takes to detect spirits. Life force is strongly attracted to spiritual force, and will flow in the direction of the strongest/closest source of spiritual energy in the ethereal or material planes, including any undead or enchantments made with at least 1 year of spiritual force. Detection range is 10’ per level of the caster. Especially strong sources may hide or obscure weaker sources.

Eat Soul[]

HP: -
SP: -
Sacrifice target to extend your lifespan. The caster must be in touch with the creatures when it dies. Gain 1 year for every 10 years left in the sacrifice's natural life span. Must be caster soul size or greater (e.g. Humans cannot sacrifice goats or goblins).

LEVEL 2[]

Know Lifespan[]

HP: -
SP: -
By tasting the blood of a living creature, you know how long its natural life is and how much HP it has, and how close to death it is. At 5th level you can tell if they belong to one of the following classes: Warrior, Cleric, Wizard, Other.

Spiritual Weapon[]

HP: -
SP: 1+ years
Create a link between the spirit world and the material world using a weapon made from a once living creature (e.g. Bone knife) as a conduit. This weapon drains life energy when it wounds a creature. The amount of energy it drains depends on the weapon size, effectively doubling the damage of the weapon. Example: A bone dagger would do 1d4 physical damage, and 1d4 necrotic damage. Casting this spell is quick and easy, just a prick of blood (drawn with the weapon), allowing this spell to be cast in the same round the attack is going to be made. The weapon must be type S or P, as the draining requires contact with the creature's blood to work. This effect lasts 1 round per year drained.

Large weapons require 2 years per round.

Withering Touch[]

HP: -
SP: 2+ years
By siphoning part of their own spirit into the ethereal plane, leaving it trapped there, and then linking it to the prime material plane, the necromancer can decay living matter at a touch. By giving up 2 year of their life, the caster can cause 1d6 points of damage over 2 rounds. Each doubling of the casting cost adds an additional 1d6 damage. Only one withering touch may affect a create at a time. Should two effects strike the same creature, the stronger one takes effect.

Example: The caster gives up 8 years of their life to deal 3d6 damage to a target over 2 rounds.

LEVEL 3[]

Past Life[]

HP: -
SP: -
Get a brief impression of a former life. Need to handles remains. Gives former professions and levels (if any).

Lesser Possession[]

HP: -
SP: 1 year
The caster creates a link between their spirit and the spiritual energy of an undead under their control. Must touch the creature, creature may not be ethereal, creature must have at least 1 year of spiritual energy. Once possessed, the caster's body falls limp and they can control the undead as if its body was their own. Cannot speak unless the creature can speak. Control can be relinquished at any time, but when it is, the magic of the creature is broken and it dies unless it has returned to the caster's body and is touching it. The caster is immediately back in their own body. While possessing a creature, any mind effecting magic cast on the undead affects the caster, making the creature effectively susceptible to these types of spells.

Example: Hold person cast against a possessed skeleton would cause it to hold. If the skeleton was killed, the caster would still be held until the spell wears off.

Mark of Servitude[]

HP: -
SP: 2 years
Permanent mark made on a willing subject. Undead under the caster's control will not auto attack those with the mark. Could be a brand, a tattoo, a scaring, or any other permanent form of skin marking. As the mark is a direct symbol of the caster's life, their mark, once chosen, cannot be changed.

LEVEL 4[]

Clairvoyance[]

HP: 2 hp
SP: 1 year
See through the eyes of any one of your undead. One casting of the spell to prepare a body for reception, and one casting to begin to see through them.

Corpse Whisper[]

HP: 1 hp
SP: 2 years
Speak through one of your undead. One casting of the spell to prepare a body for reception, and one casting to begin to speak through them. Can be cast on a possessed but otherwise unmarked undead. Duration of whisper: 1 hour.

Spirit Armor[]

HP: ¼ max HP [held]
SP: -
The caster transforms some of their life essence (1/4 max HP rounded up) into a shield around them. For a number of attacks equal to the caster's level, the shield will reduce incoming damage by the casters level. For purposes of this spell, and attack is any damage dealing event, be it a sword strike, dragon's breath, or falling.

As long as spirit armor is active, the lost HP may not be regained, either naturally or magically. Once the spell has ended, the HP may only be recovered through natural means. The spell may be dispelled with a word, else it lasts until its effects are all triggered (which could take days)

Example: Cleo the 5th level necromancer casts Spirit Armor. Each of the next 5 successful attacks against Cleo will have their damage reduced by 5.

LEVEL 5[]

Personal Sacrifice[]

HP: -
SP: Variable
The caster spins part of their spiritual fore into a net that is dragged through the ethereal plane and into the material plane. This net gathers and traps loose bits of life on its journey. When it arrives in the material plane, the caster wraps the net around themselves where it is destroyed. The loose bits of life force then attach and absorb into the caster. In most cases, 3 years of spiritual force will be able to capture 1 hp worth of life force. If an area is especially full of life force (e.g. jungles, cemeteries, etc.), the caster may only need 2 years of life to weave the net. In areas devoid of life energy (e.g. wastelands, mountain tops, etc.), the caster may need up to 9 years of life to weave the net.

Phantom Feast[]

HP: Variable
SP: 3 years
By presenting a part of their body and declaring a feast, the caster imbues themselves with magic. The caster, and a number of people up to the caster level, may eat the flesh of the caster. Each person needs but one mouthful of flesh to nourish them for a week, although this spell does not stave off the effects of dehydration. The caster takes an amount of damage equal to the number of people who feast on them plus three (a 4-person party would deal 7 damage to the caster). The caster's flesh quickly regrows, but the damage they take is very real and cannot be healed by magical means. Creatures one size larger than the caster deal 3 damage when they feast, while smaller creatures still deal 1 point of damage.

It is not uncommon for creatures who use this spell to develop a taste for human flesh (assuming the caster is human). Those who survive on this spell for too long may find themselves repulsed by normal food.

Unholy Strength[]

HP: -
SP: 3 year
A necromancer must touch a willing and living subject in the casting of this spell, turning their muscles into undead muscles, raising their strength temporarily. The subject of the spell makes and exchange of HP for Strength. For every HP they lose, they temporarily gain 1 point of strength, to a maximum of 18/100 (each category of exceptional strength counts as 1 point). Non-warriors can gain exceptional strength this way. When the duration (1 turn / level) expires, the subject reverts to their normal strength, and then loses an equal amount to what they gained. The lost strength returns at a rate of 3 points per day. It is worth keeping in mind, that any character who reaches 0 strength dies.

Non-willing subjects, including unconscious people, cannot be targeted with the spell, as part of the magic involves an internal agreement to relinquish HP. Similarly, the muscles of the subject are decayed and undead, giving the subject of the spell a stench of death and decay about them.

Example: Lili the Cleric is fighting a giant with her necromancer friend Leoric. Leoric casts Unholy Strength on Lili, who chooses to give up 11 hp, raising her strength from 12 to 18/100. When the spell expires after defeating the giant, Lili looses 11 points of strength, bringing her to 1 strength. The next morning, she has regained 1 lost point of strength and is at 2 str. Three days later, she's at 5 strength. A week later, she's back at her full 12 strength.

LEVEL 6[]

False Death[]

HP: -
SP: 5 years
Necromancer puts one willing creatures (self included) into a death like state. Breathing stops, body cools and stiffens as if dead. Creatures is unaware of anything and everything and cannot react. Wizards lose memorized spells. After 24 hours, the effects fade, and the creature returns to life. The spell disrupts bodily functioning, causing 3 points of damage to the subject and preventing them from healing by normal means for 3 days.

Hold Essence[]

HP: 3 hp [held]
SP: 5 years
By drinking the blood and eating the heart of a smaller mammal, the necromancer stores the form of that creature for later use. Using an action (speed 3), the caster can transform into the animal, bringing all their equipment with them. This form has the stats of the creature in question with an AC bonus of 4. The caster retains their mind and their HP, but is otherwise limited to the form they are in. The caster may change back at any point, or when the spell expires. This form will last for a number of hours equal to the caster's level. At 10th level the caster can hold the essence of 2 creatures (using one at a time). At 14th level they may hold 4. At 18th level they may hold 8. Holding the pattern of another creature in your body is difficult, causing the max HP of the caster to be reduced by 3 for each essence held.

Hold Person[]

HP: -
SP: 5 years
By positioning a creature against a mirror, and marking their forehead with their own blood, the necromancer entombs the creature inside a mirror. The mirror must be of a size to hold the creature. Spells that change the size of the creature prevent the creature from being entombed until the spell is worn off. Similarly, mirrors that are magically changed in size are unsuitable for this task.

Once a creature is held in a mirror, it is in a state of two dimensional semistasis. The creature does not heal, does not age, has no need of food, drink, or bodily functions, yet they may still move and speak (if they were able to outside of the mirror). Furthermore, those trapped in the mirror find that their three dimensional belongings no longer function in two dimensional space: books cannot be read, potions cannot be consumed, itches cannot be scratched, etc. Creatures with magical abilities (spells, gazes, etc.) will find that their spells are restricted to the mirror dimension in which they are placed. A basilisk would not petrify someone looking at it, nor could a mage within a mirror cast Magic Missile at someone on the other side or at the mirror itself.

Creatures inside the mirror are aware of what is happening on the outside of the mirror, being able to see, hear, and smell. Similarly, creatures on the outside of the mirror and see and hear those trapped in it. Those inside the mirror may walk around within the confines of the mirror, and may come into the foreground (between the onlooker and their reflection) or stay in the background (behind the reflection of creatures).

If the mirror is broken or damaged (scratching the glass counts as damaged), the magic is broken, the mirror shatters, and the creature is freed, in the exact state it was originally imprisoned.

A shatter spell cast from within the mirror dimension will break the mirror. Spells that move between dimensions can be used as long as they do not require 3 dimensional space (A spell that opens a portal one walks through would not work, but a spell that shifts the caster from one dimension to another will). Teleportation has no effect.

A caster may not imprison themselves in a mirror.

Reverse Healing[]

HP: 1 hp
SP: 5 years
To cast this spell, the caster must draw their own blood onto their fingertip, speak the word, and touch the target. If the target fails their saving throw, they take damage instead of gain life from all nonmagical healing. Magic healing of 3rd level and below heals the very damage it deals, rendering it ineffective. 4th level healing spells will negate the spell instead of healing damage. 5th level healing spells and above will remove the spell in addition to their normal effects. A remove curse or dispel magic spell will also remove the effect.

LEVEL 7[]

Mark of Allegiance[]

HP: -
SP: 3 years
Similar to Mark of Servitude, except this spell gives the owner of the mark limited control over the caster's minions. The caster must pick a type, or types, of undead for the marked individual to control (e.g. basic skeletons and zombies). The marking is complimentary to the caster's Mark of Servitude and must be an elaboration or extension on an existing mark. It then goes without saying that only a bearer of a Mark of Servitude may receive a Mark of Allegiance.

Necrograph[]

HP: -
SP: 5 years
Attach a body part to a person missing that part. The attached part functions and is under the control of the subject, but is dead and decaying. May need to be replaced eventually. Has super human strength (18/90).

Soul Siphon[]

HP: -
SP: -
The caster may use the life force of a creature they are sacrificing instead of paying the cost themselves. As this process bypasses the caster all together, it is twice as effective as Vampiric touch, producing 2 points of spiritual force for every 10 years of life left in the creature. All the usual restrictions of Eat Soul apply.

LEVEL 8[]

Raise Undead[]

HP: -
SP: -
By this point in their career, a necromancer has become very familiar with the practices of creating their undead followers. The necromancer may now raise their undead at a much greater rate. With one hour of prep time, the necromancer can raise 8 undead (of a single type) instead of just 1. The costs do not change, only the time required. Should the necromancer wish to raise 8 skeletons, they must still pay the 8 small animal cost. For purposes of conversion, 1 large animal = 3 medium, 1 medium animal = 3 small. The types of undead that can be raised en-mass are those with level requirements three less than the caster's current level. At 8th level, the caster could raise level 5 creatures or below. A necromancer would need to be level 10 to mass raise Nightmares.

Sensitivity to Life[]

HP: 3 hp
SP: 10+ years
By enchanting a set of eyeballs (must be laid out before the caster) and then inserting them into the eye sockets of a creature (unwilling creatures get a save vs. spell), the creature gains a sensitivity the Life Force. This sensitivity is strongest in the eyes, but does extend to the whole of the body as the eyes “settle in”. These eyes can see with infravision 10’ per level of the caster. This type of infravision is created by drawing out the occupant's spiritual force to somewhat ethereally shifted. The shift allows the spiritual force of the recipient to tug on the life force those around it, in much the opposite way of a comet's tail. This “pull” on the life force creates a distinct outline around living things. A nasty side effect of this spell is that high energy sources of life become dangerous for the caster, especially to look at. Looking at the sun directly immediately destroys the eyes and deals 1d6 damage per caster level to the recipient. Clean flowing water, a nymph's spring, a dryad's meadow, and other high energy life forces cause discomfort when looked at, and pain when surrounded by. This pain can even cause damage or death if the caster is fully immersed in a strong source. This spell lasts for 1 year for each additional year of life beyond 10 they sacrifice when casting. The eyes used can be the eyes of the subject, or someone else's, but they must fit, and their source conveys no additional benefits. Once the spell expires, the eyes rot, and fall from the head of the recipient.

The recipient of the set of eyes takes 5 damage when their eyeballs are first removed, but none when the spell expires or the eyes are removed in other ways.

LEVEL 9[]

Satisfy Hunger[]

HP: -
SP: -
By eating the heart of a creature with a similar soul size, the caster can permanently increase their max HP by 1. This number is limited only by the character's maximum potential HP - the amount of HP the caster would have if they rolled max on all their hit dice. The requirements for this spell can be obtained after using Vampiric Touch on a creature. After gorging on the heart, the caster must spend a day of bed rest while their body absorbs and transforms. Gains in HP are all in the spiritual plane, imbalancing the caster's anima. Without enough Life Force to shield the Spiritual Force, the caster begins to grow weak to sunlight. First suffering combat penalties, eventually taking damage, and finally being destroyed by it.

LEVEL 10[]

Soulbind[]

HP: -
SP: 5 years
The eyes are the window to the soul, and by the means of this spell the caster enchants their own eyes. When a person with a soul looks into the casters eyes, their spirit becomes intertwined with the casters on a small level. The target is allowed a saving throw (willpower or spell) to negate. If the target fails, they feel a deep, personal, but unspoken connection to the caster. The effects will fade over the course of 1 week per caster level. If at any point during this effect the target meets the casters gaze again (without the spell being cast), the bond is restrengthened and renewed. Further castings create a more intense bond, eventually achieving a thrall like state. The more the target is bound to the caster, the less extreme their own emotions. Deeply bound individuals may be listless and without purpose when left to their own devices, barely sustaining themselves. At no point in time can the caster directly control the actions of those bound to them.

Vampiric Feast[]

HP: -
SP: -
By drinking the blood of another living creature, the necromancer heals and restores themselves. With a willing target, the caster can drain 8 hp per round; with an unwilling target, the caster drains 1d8 hp/round. For every hit point drained, the caster gains 1 hp. If the target is of the same species as the caster, they can instead convert the drained HP into lifespan at a rate of 1 year gained per 2 hp drained. Those that make use of this spell may conflate the euphoria of gaining hp/years with the taste of blood and gain a taste for it at best, or an addiction to it at worst.

LEVEL 11[]

Empathetic Focus[]

HP: - / ½ max hp
SP: - / 20
While the spiritual plane is too alien to be understood by mere mortals, an experienced necromancer has many useful insights. The material and spiritual words are parallel to each other, and so when the body communicates on the material plane with words and gestures, so too does the spirit communicate with emotions. If a necromancer wishes, they can attune their soul to these communications, which has a profound effect on their being. This door once opened cannot be shut, and there is no going back.

Emotional Numbing: The necromancer will be feeling all their own emotions, and the emotions of those around them, much more strongly. Even minor emotions can be overwhelming. The only way to deal with these intense levels of emotion is to desensitize on self to all of them.

Intense Feelings: When a necromancer does engage with an emotion, they deal with it in extremes. Hunger is ravenous. Anger is murderous. Sadness is soul wrenching.

Emotional Projection: As emotions are a form of communication, the necromancer can project theirs onto others, just as one can shout over another’s speaking. When the caster projects an emotion, they force the target to make a willpower save (adjusted for level) or be overcome with the emotion. Characters currently opposed to the necromancer may save with a bonus ranging from +10 to +20. Elves and other empathetic creatures have advantage on this save. The easiest emotions to project are fear, desire, and indifference. Creatures feeling fear either flee or fight with penalties (-2 to hit and damage). Other emotions need context to be understood. Is the necromancer causing sexual desire while trying to seduce the target? Are they causing greedy desire while discussing a reward or payment given to a hireling? Are they causing hunger desire while inviting someone in for dinner? Careful consideration needs be taken when projecting emotions. Other emotions can be projected, but are saved against with a significant bonus.

Passive Projection: Even when not trying to project an emotion, the necromancer still speaks more clearly to others on the spiritual plane. This has the effect of people taking notice of them more. With a little practice, this passive projection can be attuned in one direction or the other, giving them a light aura of emotion. This could be mistaken for being highly attractive (desire), cause discomfort (fear), or discontentment (indifference).

Passive Perception: When in the company of others, the necromancer can instantly detect any unconcealed feelings directed at them. A person angry at the necromancer who was sitting across the room would stand out like a candle in the dark. Characters actively suppressing their emotions may remain undetected.

Emotional Reading: By staring into the eyes of another character and listening to their soul carefully, the caster can read the character’s emotions with exacting detail bordering on reading their mind. The target character gets a willpower save. If eye contact cannot be maintained, a grip on a vital part of the character may suffice (neck, face, inner thigh, hand, etc.). A character who understands what is happening and actively resist makes their save at +10.

Personal Space: All creatures have a sense of personal space, which the necromancer can feel closely. They know exactly how far someone’s personal space extends and exactly when they push up against it. This ought to be a minor footnote along with other interesting effects of communicating on the spiritual plane except for one thing: blessings of the gods. Any consecrated space is scattered with bits of life force and acts as a blinding wall of white noise should the necromancer enter into it. In practice this prevents the necromancer from entering sacred areas, and causes them pain and discomfort when presented with sacred objects. Perhaps most important of all is the blessing of Nerual, the goddess of the home, the hearth, family, and society. She blesses each and every home that is actively lived in. This protection is that feeling of being home people get, a certain comfort and ease that is so elementary we barely notice it when we have it, and desperately want it when we don’t have it. Unlike other sacred spaces, the blessing on the home is only a problem when the necromancer is an outsider. If the members of the home are favorable to the necromancer, or have invited the necromancer within the space, the blessing ignores them.

Mind over Matter[]

HP: -
SP: -
This ability projects the target's spiritual force throughout their body. This shuts down all bodily functions (healing, heat generation, aging, etc.) and renders the target resistant to all non-magical* sources of damage. As the soul is self repairing, damage sustained by the target heals at 1 hp / turn. Furthermore, as the target's spirit is masking their body, they become very sensitive to silver and unable to move against it. A single silver thread draped over the torso of a fallen target would prevent them from moving, and the target would be unreflected in a mirror. This silver sensitivity lets weapons made fully of silver (not just lined with it) cause full damage to the target. This spell is permanent once cast. Targets resisting must pass a saving throw vs. spell.

This spell takes a week of prep in a special place, a full day of casting, and a recovery period of ~1 hour.

LEVEL 12[]

Tooth and Claw[]

HP: -
SP: 6 years
By channeling six year of their life into a momentary outburst of energy, the caster grows claws and fangs for a turn. The caster is proficient in these melee attacks, and deals 1d6 damage with them. This spell can be cast instantly and continued without recasting, although each turn it is maintained drains another six years of life. Furthermore, these melee attacks can be made in conjunction with touch attack spells, allowing a necromancer to: Cast Tooth & Claw, attack with the fangs, hit for 1d6 damage and cast Vampiric Feast. Since the teeth and claws are living or once living matter, they can also be enchanted with Spiritual Weapon, although spiritual weapon cannot be cast in the same round as other spells.

LEVEL 13[]

Vampiric Touch[]

??? Do we need this? Doesn’t this just replace Eat Soul?
HP: -
SP: -
The caster can create a small and stable portal between the material and spiritual planes and is able to open and close it at will. With just a touch of another living creature, the caster can cause it to age 1d10 years, adding one tenth of that value to their life span if the creature has a similar or larger soul size. A creature that is not resisting can be aged up to 100 years a minute. When a creature is drained of life by means of this ability, they visibly age before the eye. If their whole life is drained, they are left as nothing but a dry husk.