Necromancer
“There is more in the dark than there appears”
Class Traits
Role: Leader/Striker. You siphon power from those around you to aid them when it serves you, healing them, and protecting them from forces beyond the grave.
Power Source: Shadow. You draw on the dark powers of the shadowfell through a deep connection to the plane.
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Quarterstaff, Dagger, Scythe
Implements: Staff, Dagger, Scythe
Bonus to Defense: +1 Will, +1 Fort
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4
Healing Surges per Day: 10 + Constitution modifier
Trained Skills: Arcana or Religion (your choice). From the class list below, choose 3 more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Bluff (Cha), Dungeoneering (Wis), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Religion (Int), Stealth (Dex), Thievery (Dex)
Build Options: Combat necromancer, master necromancer, shady necromancer
Class Features: Funnel Life, Implement Focus, Necromantic Study, Ritual Casting, Steal Life
Necromancers are the unrivalled masters of life and death. They draw on their own life force, and that of those around them, to blast their foes with dark energies, heal companions, and summon up undead allies. Most necromancers are haughty individuals, though some white necromancers are humble.
Will you follow the path of the white necromancer, healing your allies and destroying undead, follow a darker path with black necromancy gaining power over the living, or will you walk the narrow line in between?
Creating a Necromancer
The Necromancer has three builds: the combat necromancer, the master necromancer, and the shady necromancer. Necromancers rely on Wisdom for their melee attacks, and Intelligence for their Ranged attacks. Constitution also aids many of their class features and powers.
Combat Necromancer
If you want to stand in the thick of battle wielding your implement as a melee weapon, choose the combat necromancer build. To achieve this build, make Wisdom your primary score. Make Intelligence your secondary score and assign Constitution as your tertiary score. Make sure to concentrate on melee attack powers since they play to your key abilities.
Suggested Feat: Weapon Focus (Human feat: Student of Moil)
Suggested Skills: Dungeoneering, Heal, Intimidate, Religion
Suggested At-Will Powers: channel cold, life fades
Suggested Encounter Power: fearsome strike
Suggested Daily Power: chill of the grave
Master Necromancer
If controlling undead minions is the path you desire, choose the master necromancer build. This build relies on Wisdom for most attacks so make this your primary score. Constitution plays a role in most of your powers so make it your secondary score and Intelligence your tertiary.
The Gray Necromancy class feature is designed to support this build.
Suggested Feat: Durable (Human feat: Action Surge)
Suggested Skills: Arcana, Heal, Intimidate, Religion
Suggested At-Will Powers: distraction, pummel
Suggested Encounter Power: death wail
Suggested Daily Power: create zombie brute
Shady Necromancer
As a shady necromancer, you spend your time hiding in the shadows and striking your foes at range. Intelligence controls your ranged attacks so make this your primary ability. If you want to have some melee options make Wisdom your secondary, and Constitution your tertiary.
Suggested Feat: Implement Focus (Human feat: Necronomicon)
Suggested Skills: Bluff, Heal, Religion, Stealth
Suggested At-Will Powers: dark light, dusk arrow
Suggested Encounter Power: darkbolt
Suggested Daily Power: strangle
Implements
Necromancers make use of daggers, scythes, and staffs to help channel and direct their shadow powers. Every necromancer focuses on one type of implement (see “Class Features”).
Without an implement, a necromancer can still use his or her powers. A necromancer wielding a magic dagger, scythe, or staff can add its enhancement bonus to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of necromancer powers, as well as necromancer paragon path powers, that have the implement keyword.
Necromancer Class Features
Funnel Life
Using the funnel life power, necromancers can grant some of their own life energies to their comrades to help them continue the fight.
Funnel Life
Encounter(Special) * Shadow, Healing
Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only
once per round. At 16th level, you can use this power three
times per encounter.
Minor Action Close burst 5
(10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Target: You or one ally
Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points.
Instead, the target regains hit points as if it had spent a
healing surge + your Constitution modifier. You must have at least one healing surge remaining to use this power.
Implement Focus
You specialize in the use of one implement over all others. Choose one of the options below to gain extra abilities with your favored implement.
Ritual Dagger: Once per round as a minor action you may spend a healing surge to gain a power bonus to your next attack roll equal to your Constitution Modifier.
Reaper’s Scythe: When used in conjunction with a power with the weapon keyword you may spend a healing surge to treat the scythe as if it has the Brutal 1 property.
Skull Topped Staff: As an immediate interrupt you may spend a healing surge to add your Constitution modifier to all defenses for one attack.
Necromantic Study
Necromancers wield both the white and black powers of necromancy, though some favor one side over the other. Choose which path to favor to gain special benefits.
Black Necromancy: Those who favor the dark aspects of necromancy gain enhanced damage dealing potential and lean toward the striker role. You may add your Constitution modifier as a bonus to damage roles with shadow powers. The bonus increases to your Constitution modifier +2 at 11th level and your Constitution modifier +4 at 21st level.
Gray Necromancy: Those who walk the line in their studies draw the notice of an undead servant as described below. The care of this servant draws some of their focus and they lose the Ritual Casting class feature.
White Necromancy: White necromancers focus on the healing aspects of necromancy. When you grant healing with one of your necromancer powers that has the healing keyword, add your wisdom modifier to the hit points regained.
Ritual Casting
You gain the Ritual Caster feat as a bonus feat, allowing you to use magical rituals. You possess a ritual book, and it contains two rituals you have mastered: the Gentle Repose ritual and one other 1st-level ritual of your choice.
Steal Life
Necromancers use the steal life power to keep their power reserves high.
Steal Life
Encounter(Special) * Shadow
Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only
once per round. At 16th level, you can use this power three
times per encounter.
Minor Action Close burst 5
(10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Target: One Creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: The target loses one healing surge and you gain one healing surge.
Special: Willing allies may be targeted and do not require an attack roll
Undead Servant: A necromancer who chooses the gray necromancy class feature may summon an undead creature to aid him in battle. To do so he must spend 2 healing surges which he cannot regain through any means (including his Steal Life power) until the creature is dismissed or destroyed. Summoning the servant is a standard action, and he can be dismissed as a minor action.
The undead servant otherwise follows the rules for beast mastery.
Servant Categories:
Ghost
Shadow
Skeleton
Zombie
Stats to come
Why do I instantly think 'CoDZilla'
> Reaper’s Scythe
underpowered IMO. brutal 1 gives an average of .5 damage per die. and the effect is also obtainable by gauntlets of destruction
> Black Necromancy:
... since there is no powerlist, I can't say if its strong or not, but currenly I'll give it a 'overpowered', if anything, because you (theoretically) can just multiclass in a CON based shadow user
> Steal Life
- unrealistic: monsters don't use the healing surge mechanism like PCs do. monsters have 1 healing surge (which they use to as a powersource). PCs have about on average 10 (?) healing surges, which they use a healing or power source.
- Because it targets monsters, I have no idea how this power is balanced ... (overpowered/underpowered/...)
- Fun however how Steal Life + Funnel Life interact with each other ...
In short
- I'dd make Steal Life: willing ally (perhaps add a ritual, making captured monsters able to be a target for this power, or something)
- you don't just add stat X to damage.
- some fun idea's though ...
>Reaper’s Scythe
Originally wanted to do brutal 2, but thought it would be overpowered
> Steal Life
- The monster manual states that all monsters have healing surges, differing dippending on their tier. And the power is intended for use on allies as well since the target is one creature, which as i understand it can target allies as well.
- I'm still afraid it's a little overpowered since it gives 2 surges back to the necromancer per fight if used on monsters...
In short
- Thinking about changing Steal life to ally only, and relying on other powers to take surges from monsters (a mechanic I want to keep).
- The Sorcerer adds X stat to damage, though I'll admit I'm not sold on it... Any suggestions to change this option and still gain a damage boost?
-Thanks for the comments!
The Sorcerer adds X stat to damage, though I'll admit I'm not sold on it... Any suggestions to change this option and still gain a damage boost?
damage as warlock's curse?