Here are the lvl 1 options, let me have it...lol
Necromancer
“I embrace your worst nightmares, I study them, control
them, and create them. In the end, I can become them.”
CLASS TRAITS
Role: Controller. You exert control through magical
effects that cover large areas, or by raising undead minions
to defend you. You lean towards striker as a secondary role
with your ability to drain life.
Power Source: Arcane. You channel arcane forces
through extensive study, forbidden knowledge, and
intricate preparation. To you, life, and death are both merely
pieces of your whole existence. Both serve their purpose,
and you use magic to guide that purpose to your will.
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Constitution, Charisma
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, quarterstaff
Implements: Daggers, staffs, wands
Bonus to Defense: +2 Will
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier
Trained Skills: Arcana. From the class skills list below,
choose three more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Dungeoneering (Wis), Heal (Wis),
History (Int), Insight (Wis), Nature (Int), Religion (Int)
Build Options: Enervating Necromancer, Horde Necromancer
Class Features: Arcane Implement Mastery, Ritual Casting,
Spellbook
Necromancers are the masters of forbidden, dark magics. They
spend their lives pouring over tomes, and rituals searching for
the secrets of life, and death. They follow many of the same
tenets as their wizard bretheren, however they do not restrict
themselves by the same moral code that they do. A necromancer
may have chosen their course of study for many reasons, but
often you will find a loved one on the brink of death when a young
wizard student turns to necromancy. However, it is just as likely
to find a necromancer that follows the dark art purely as a means
to conquer death themselves.
In any circumstance, a necromancer is an adversary to be feared.
Whether you face the horde necromancer, with his numerous
minions to serve him, or the enervating necromancer, with his
penchant for syphoning the very life essence from his foes, there
is no doubt that when you face a necromancer, it is the fate of
your very soul that is at stake.
Creating a Necromancer
Necromancers have a range of powers, but tend to specialize
in one of two character builds: horde necromancer or enervating
necromancer. Every necromancer relies on Intelligence for attack
powers, and secondarily on Charisma, Constitution, and
sometimes Wisdom.
Horde Necromancer
Your favorite powers raise undead to harass your enemies,
crushing them in deaths grip. Intelligence drives your attack
powers, so make it your highest ability score. Charisma
can help you maintain control over your raised undead,
so it should be your second-best score. Make
Constitution your third best score. It can help you stay
alive by increasing your hit points and healing surges,
as well as contributing to your Fortitude defense. If you
choose the staff of defense form of Implement Mastery,
your Constitution can also help your other defenses. Select
powers that help you raise, or control undead, and make the
best use of your high Charisma score.
Suggested Feat: Improved Initiative (Human feat:
Human Perseverance)
Suggested Skills: Arcana, Insight,
Nature, Religion
Suggested At-Will Powers: grave mists,
torments of the grave
Suggested Encounter Power: skeletal minion
Suggested Daily Power: raise zombie
Enervating Necromancer
Your delight is in powers that deal damage—lots of
damage, and heal you at a time. Enormous bursts of
cold, withering bolts of necrotic energy, and frigtening attacks
on the mind are your weapons. Intelligence is your most
important ability score. Constitution should be your
second-best score. You might choose the staff of defense
form of Implement Mastery, which lets your Constitution
aid your defenses against some attacks. Even if you don’t,
Constitution increases your hit points, healing surges, and
Fortitude defense. Select powers that deal lots of damage
and that make the best use of your high Constitution score.
Suggested Feat: Expanded Spellbook (Human
feat: Action Surge)
Suggested Skills: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History,
Religion
Suggested At-Will Powers: deathly orb, ray of frost
Suggested Encounter Power: drain life
Suggested Daily Power: acid arrow
Implements
Necromancers make use of daggers, staffs, and wands to help
channel and direct their arcane powers. Every necromancer
has mastery of one type of implement (see “Class Features”).
Without an implement, a wizard can still use
his or her powers. A wizard wielding a magic dagger, staff,
or wand can add its enhancement bonus to the attack
rolls and the damage rolls of wizard powers, as well as
wizard paragon path powers, that have the implement
keyword.
Necromancer Class Features
You have the following class features.
Arcane Implement Mastery
You specialize in the use of one kind of implement to
gain additional abilities when you wield it. Choose one
of the following forms of implement mastery.
Dagger of Life: Once per encounter as a free
action, you may gain additional temporary hit points
equal to your Charisma modifier when you hit with a
necrotic power. Unlike normal temporary hitpoints,
these can stack with temporary hitpoints from other
sources. Whenever any damage is dealt to the
necromancer, he loses these temporary it points first.
You must wield your dagger to benefit from this feature.
Staff of Defense: A staff of defense grants you
a +1 bonus to AC. In addition, once per encounter
as an immediate interrupt, you gain a bonus to
defense against one attack equal to your Constitution
modifier. You can declare the bonus after the
Dungeon Master has already told you the damage
total. You must wield your staff to benefit from these
features. This form of mastery is useful for all wizards,
particularly if you dabble in both control and
damage-dealing spells.
Wand of Accuracy: Once per encounter as a free
action, you gain a bonus to a single attack roll equal to
your Dexterity modifier. You must wield your wand to
benefit from this feature. This form of mastery is good
for war wizards because it helps increase their accuracy
with damaging powers.
Cantrips
Cantrips are minor spells you gain at 1st level. You can
use the light, and mage hand, cantrips as at-will powers.
Ritual Casting
You gain the Ritual Caster feat (page 200) as a
bonus feat, allowing you to use magical rituals (see
Chapter 10).
Spellbook
You possess a spellbook, a book full of mystic lore in
which you store your rituals and your daily and utility
spells.
Rituals: Your book contains Gentle Repose, and two
1st-level rituals of your choice that you have mastered.
At 5th level, and again at 11th, 15th, 21st, and 25th
level, you master two more rituals of your choice and
add them to your spellbook. Any ritual you add must
be your level or lower.
Daily and Utility Spells: Your spellbook also
holds your daily and utility spells. You begin knowing
two daily spells, one of which you can use on any given
day. Each time you gain a level that lets you select a
daily spell or a utility spell, choose two different daily
spells or utility spells of that level to add to your book.
After an extended rest, you can prepare a number of
daily and utility spells according to what you can cast
per day for your level. You can’t prepare the same spell
twice.
If you replace a spell because of gaining a level or
through retraining, the previous spell vanishes from
your spellbook and is replaced by the new spell.
Capacity: A typical spellbook has 128 pages. Each
spell takes up 1 page. A ritual takes up a number of
pages equal to its level.
New Keyword: Raised
Powers that have the raised keyword reanimate corpses
to defend you in a variety of ways.
Raised Creature
A raised creature uses these rules, unless a power
description says otherwise.
✦Allied Creature: When you use a raise power, you create a
creature that is an ally to you, and your allies. The power determines
where the raised creature appears.
✦Hit Points: Each raised creature has it's own hit points. When a
raised creature is reduced to 0 hit points, it is destroyed, and you
lose a healing surge. If you have no healing surges left, you instead
take damage equal to half your bloodied value.
✦No Healing Surges: The raised creature lacks healing surges, but
if a power allows it to spend a healing surge, you can spend a healing
surge for it. The raised creature then gains the benefit of the healing
surge, instead of you gaining it.
✦Commanding the Creature: A raised creature is not a commanded
creature. It is a free willed ally, and will defend you to the best of it's
ability, without regard for it's own safety. It has no initiative, but instead
acts on your turn, either before, or after you, as you decide. A raised
creature can be commanded if another power would allow you to do so.
✦Creature Type: A raised creature is always considered to have the
undead creature type.
Necromancer Powers
Your arcane powers are called spells, and in the minds
of most people in the world, they define what dark magic is.
Class Features
Light Necromancer Cantrip
With a wave of your hand, you cause a bright light to appear on
the tip of your staff, upon some other object, or in a nearby space.
At-Will ✦ Arcane
Minor Action Ranged 5
Target: One object or unoccupied square
Effect: You cause the target to shed bright light. The light
fills the target’s square and all squares within 4 squares of
it. The light lasts for 5 minutes. Putting out the light is a
free action.
Special: You can have only one light cantrip active at a time. If
you create a new light, your previously cast light winks out.
Mage Hand Necromancer Cantrip
You gesture toward an object nearby, and a spectral floating hand
lifts the object into the air and moves it where you wish.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Conjuration
Minor Action Ranged 5
Effect: You conjure a spectral, floating hand in an unoccupied
square within range. The hand picks up, moves,
or manipulates an adjacent object weighing 20 pounds
or less and carries it up to 5 squares. If you are holding
the object when you use this power, the hand can move
the object into a pack, a pouch, a sheath, or a similar container
and simultaneously move any one object carried or
worn anywhere on your body into your hand.
As a move action, you can move the hand up to 5
squares. As a free action, you can cause the hand to drop
an object it is holding, and as a minor action, you can
cause the hand to pick up or manipulate a different object.
Sustain Minor: You can sustain the hand indefinitely.
Special: You can create only one hand at a time.
NECROMANCER
Level 1 At-Will Spells
Grave Mists Necromancer Attack 1
You create a small cloud of mist that smells of the grave, and
is bitter cold.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Area 1 square within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in square
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier cold damage.
Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Effect: The power’s area is filled with icy vapors.
Any creature that enters the area or starts its turn there
takes cold damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum
1). The mists remain in place until the end of your
next turn. You can dispel it earlier as a minor action.
Deathly Orb Necromancer Attack 1
You launch a glowing green orb of energy at an enemy.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Ranged 20
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d4 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage.
Increase damage to 4d4 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Special: This power counts as a ranged basic attack. When
a power allows you to make a ranged basic attack, you can
use this power.
Ray of Frost Necromancer Attack 1
A blisteringly cold ray of white frost streaks to your target.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier cold damage, and the target
is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Torments of the Grave Necromancer Attack 1
You open the minds eye of your enemies, and show them
the horrors that lie beyond death.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage.
Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Ghoul's Breath Necromancer Attack 1
You open your mouth and release a foul oderous gas that sickens
those before you.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target
falls prone.
Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Level 1 Encounter Spells
Skeletal Minion Necromancer Attack 1
You raise up a skeletal corpse to protect you in battle.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic, Raised
Standard Action Ranged 5
Effect: You raise a Skeletal Minion to defend you. It lasts until
the end of your next turn.
Special: You do not control the skeleton, it will merely defend
you to the best of it's abilities, acting on your initiative.
Sustain Minor: You may sustain this minion one time.
Horde Necromancer (Sustain): When you raise the Skeletal
Minion, you may choose to sacrifice 2 healing surges + 1 for each
undead you currently have sustained, to permanently sustain the
minion until it is destroyed, or you choose to release it.
Skeletal Minion Level 1 Minion
Medium natural animate (undead)
Senses Perception +2; darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 16; Fortitude 13, Refl ex 14, Will 13
Immune disease, poison
Speed 6
Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 4 damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 15 (+2) Dex 17 (+3) Wis 14 (+2)
Con 13 (+1) Int 3 (–4) Cha 3 (–4)
Equipment heavy shield, longsword
Chill Strike Necromancer Attack 1
You create a bolt of frigid purple energy around your hand and
send it hurtling toward your foe.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier cold damage, and the target
is dazed until the start of your next turn.
Drain Life Necromancer Attack 1
You reach out and a spectral black hand reaches out, and tears
some of the life force out of your foe, reinvigorating you.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and you gain
5 temporary hit points.
Enervating Necromancer: You gain hit points equal to 5 +
your Constitution modifier.
Command Undead Necromancer Attack 1
With ancy icy glare, you exert your will over that of a nearby undead.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One undead creature.
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: You have total control over this unead until the end of your next
turn. On it's turn you make all moves, and attacks with the creature
as if you were the creature for that turn. Once the creature is freed
of this control, it is aware of what it had done, and who had controlled
it.
Sustain Standard: You may sustain this power as a standard action
a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.
Ray of Enfeeblement Necromancer Attack 1
You point three fingers at your foe, curling them like talons.
Weird green mist streams from your enemy’s flesh, carrying
away its strength.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d10 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the
target is weakened until the end of your next turn.
Level 1 Daily Spells
Withering Bolt Necromancer Attack 1
A shimmering bolt of green, glowing energy streaks to
your target, and bursts in a spray of withering death.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Ranged 20
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the
target is slowed, and weakened (save ends both). Make a
secondary attack.
Secondary Target: Each creature adjacent to the primary
target.
Secondary Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the
target is slowed, and weakened (save ends both).
Miss: Half damage, and the target is slowed, and weakened
until the end of your next turn, and no secondary attack.
Raise Zombie Necromancer Attack 1
You raise a zombie to defend you in battle.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic, Raised
Standard Action Ranged 5
Effect: You raise a Zombie to defend you. It lasts until
the end of your next turn.
Special: You do not control the zombie, it will merely defend
you to the best of it's abilities, acting on your initiative.
Sustain Minor: You can sustain this power until the end of
the encounter.
Horde Necromancer (Sustain): When you raise the Zombie,
you may choose to sacrifice 4 healing surges + 1 for each
undead you currently have sustained, to permanently sustain the
minion until it is destroyed, or you choose to release it.
Zombie Level 1 Brute
Medium natural animate (undead)
Senses Perception +0; darkvision
HP 30; Bloodied 15; see also zombie weakness
AC 13; Fortitude 13, Refl ex 9, Will 10
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 4
Slam (standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage.
Zombie Weakness
Any critical hit to the zombie reduces it to 0 hit points instantly.
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Str 14 (+3) Dex 6 (–1) Wis 8 (+0)
Con 10 (+1) Int 1 (–4) Cha 3 (–3)
Freezing Cloud Necromancer Attack 1
A pellet shoots from your hand and explodes into a cloud of icy
mist at the point of impact.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Area burst 2 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence modifier cold damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: The cloud lasts until the end of your next turn. Any
creature that enters the cloud or starts its turn there is
subject to another attack. You can dismiss the cloud as a
minor action.
Profane Lifeleech Necromancer Attack 1
You call to the life essences in nearby creatures, absorbing
their vigor into yourself.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Area burst 3
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Constitution modifier necrotic damage. You also
gain temporary hit points equal to 5 + 1 for each creature hit
with this power.
Miss: Half damage.
Enervating Necromancer: You gain additional temporary
hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.
Oh, and BTW before all you divine necros get upset, I am new to this, let me handle one thing at a time please, lol, thx.
I do think you are right about the dazed effect on an at-will, I was trying to emulate a ghouls attack, and cut back from immobilized to dazed, but it isn't enough. I am thinking the target should fall prone instead (momentary paralysis... sort of).
I know at first glance, it seems too wizard like, but I think the raise undead adds a new twist, even when compared to a summoner. The enervation build is more designed to emulate powers akin to a warlocks, with vampiric embrace.
Thanks for the input, I'll edit that daze to prone, please keep the input coming.
I don't intend to be mean, but Homebrew classes belong in the Houserule forum. This place is for new/upcoming Wizard's products.
Agreed. While we might speculate about Necromancers in this forum, and while we might place barebone sketches of what we think classes might look like in the future, such as the sketches of the Shepherd or Godborn from the old Divine class speculation thread, this isn't the right place for a full write-up like this.
Yes it is way too similar to the wizard, but that is intentional. I believe that a necromancer IS a wizard, simply one that chose to focus on darker, forbidden magic. So, I basically took the wizard, copy & paste, then changed some subtle things. I wanted the spells to focus on necrotic & cold energy types, and center on either raising undead, or dealing damage, and turning that into temporary hit points.
I do think you are right about the dazed effect on an at-will, I was trying to emulate a ghouls attack, and cut back from immobilized to dazed, but it isn't enough. I am thinking the target should fall prone instead (momentary paralysis... sort of).
I know at first glance, it seems too wizard like, but I think the raise undead adds a new twist, even when compared to a summoner. The enervation build is more designed to emulate powers akin to a warlocks, with vampiric embrace.
Thanks for the input, I'll edit that daze to prone, please keep the input coming.
If that's the case, then why not just make a Necromancer build for the Wizard instead, possibly with a new form of Arcane Implement Mastery?
The Raise spells you have put forth have no ability to scale for later levels. Summoning a level 1 brute is good at level one, but by level 5 you'll start to see it's effectiveness in combat waning. It's defences and attack bonuses are static instead of scaling, and thus will become obsolete as the necromancer levels. This is why Summons use the casters' defences and attack bonuses.
The Horde Necromancer (Sustain) ability seems a bit weak, particularly for the Skeletal Minion. Two healing surges to keep an ally around that could die by walking into a camp fire is definitely not a good trade. I see what you're trying to accomplish though; the old Necromancer style of walking into a fight surrounded by a cadre of undead. 4th edition is not really built around powers that stretch into multiple encounters (there are exceptions, Wildshape for instance).
How about instead the Horde Necromancer simply sustains all Raised creatures until end of encounter? Keeps the Encounter power Minions useful and the Daily raised creatures on par with Summoned creatures (who typically last until end of encounter).
Overall though I like your idea, and with a bit of polishing i'm sure you can make it awesome
