Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 PhyrexianKitsune Mar 19, 2015 6:11:15	After my attempt at using a warlock chassis to create a dread necromancer aproximation without creating a whole new base class I decided the sorcerer would be a better class to work off of, and as a result have this VERY rough build for a "Necromantic" sorcererous origin based on 3.5e's Dread Necromancer class..   Dread Necromancy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Your inate magic comes not from a latent bloodline or accidental exposier to magic powers but rather a concious choice you made. You purposfully underwent dark, sinister rites, performed by either yourself, a cultist of death or undead, a necromancer,  or some other dark being linked to undeath, that  infused your body and soul with tainted necromantic energies, transforming you into one of the terrifying spellcasters known as "Dread Necromancers." . Weilding dark magics that make a mockery of life, you are deemed an irrideemable villain by most societies and feared for your dread power. While your magic is granted by dark arcane rituals it is still inate and you tap it through sheer force of will rather then study. The rituals used to gain acssess to the powers of the Dread Necromancer, and the magics they impart, are wholy evil and as a result sorcerers of this origin are rarely good in alignment.  However, in some rare cases more benevolent individuals may undergo the rites that transform them into Dread Necromancers in situations of sheer desperation, such as needing to save a loved one from death or even undeath, or perhaps out of a desire to turn evil against itself and "fight fire with fire."   Advance Learning   As a Dread Necromancer you learn how to utilize magic, armor and weapons usually forbidden to most sorcerers.  Add all Necromancy spells from all spell lists to your sorcerer spell list at the lowest level they appear among all spell lists on which they are found. These spells are not gained as bonus spells known but rather treated as if they where naturally on the sorcerer spell list for you and thus when selecting and exchanging spells known you may choose from them as well as the spells already on the default spell list for sorcerers. In addition you gain profiency with light armor and one weapon of your choice that you are not already proficient with.    Fell Sacrifice   As a Dread Necromancer you learn a dark tallent: the ability to transmute your own life essence into raw magical power. Starting at 1st level, you can use an action to regain a spell slot by taking damage equal to 1d4+ the level of the slot being regained. This ability can be used a number of times per-day equal to your charisma modifier. The damage you take to re-gain slots with this ability cannot be prevented in any way and ignores all forms or resistence. You regain all spent uses of Fell Sacrifice uppon completing a long rest. You may only use a number of your total Fell Sacrifice uses per-day equal to or less then your sorcerer level. (So while a level one Dread Necromancy sorcerer with 16 charisma would have 3 uses of Fell Sacrifice per-day, she could only expend one before taking a long rest.)   Undead Mastery   At 6th level, you become a true master of undeath, able to enhance your undead and mantain control of undead you creates with greater ease then other spellcasters. Each day, you may upkeep a number of undead creation spells that would normally require a recasting to upkeep(such as Animate Dead or Create Undead) who's total spell levels equal half your sorcerer level + your charisma modifier without having to re-cast those spells, (So a Dread Necromancy sorcerer of 14th level with 16 charisma could upkeep an Animate Dead spell cast at level 3 and a Create Undead spell cast at level 7 this way.) In addition, as long as you have at least two unspent sorcerery points, undead creatures under your control that you created with necromancy spells gain the following bonuses:   The Creature's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your Sorcerer level The Creature adds your profiency bonus to it's weapon damage rolls.   Aura of Desecration   At 14th level, you radiate an aura that empowers undead. You eminate an aura of desecration that is centered on you and has a  30 foot radius as long as you have at least four unspent sorcerery points. This aura may be supressed or re-activated by you at the start of your turn by giving up your move for that turn. All Undead in this aura, even those not under your control and/or hostile towards you, gain a bonus to their AC equal to your charisma modifier and add  half your charisma modifier to their weapon damage rolls. In addition, your aura of desecration makes enemy undead susceptable to your mind-effecting enchantment magics. You can spend  a single sorcerery point to cast any enchantment spell that would normally effect humanoids on any undead creature within your aura, treating it as a humanoid for the purposes of the spell. (So you could cast Dominate Person on a zombie or wight through this ability, for example.) This ability allows such spells to be used on all undead, even those with immunity to the spell your targeting it with and those created by other spellcasters.   General of Undeath   You become a true lord of undeath, able to command even the strongest of undead. Starting at 18th level, when you use the gate spell or a similar spell or effect to call an undead creature, such as a demilich, lich, death knight, dracolich, etc., you can force it to make a charisma save against your sorcerer spell save DC to fall under your control. After 24 hours, you lose control of it and it returns to the place it was called from even if it failed it's save. When you use this ability to force a save, you can spend 18 sorcery points have the creature called automatically fall under your control without being offered a save instead. You may choose to sacrifice undead under your control in place of expending sorcerery points for the purpose of using this ability, one undead being equivalent to one sorcerery point per 1/3 CR (minimum of 1 point).   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   In addition to their standard class features, Sorcerers of the Dread Necromancy origine have several metamagic abilites desgined with their playstyle in mind. While these metamagics are taliored to Dread Necromancy Sorcerers, they are not exclusive to them and may be selected by Sorcerers of any Sorcererous origine....   -New Metamagics Comming Soon!-   So, anybody think they can comment on the balance of this sorcerous origin? Are some features too powerful? Are others too weak?... I am not fully sure, so I'd like opinions.
#2 Matau99 Mar 19, 2015 9:39:33	Looks fun! At high levels, I think traditional Necromancer Wizard still wins out--those demilichs are just delicious--but in intermediate levels, this is probably better.
#3 PhyrexianKitsune Mar 19, 2015 9:46:40	Do you mean summoning demiliches or turning into them? Because right now I see no way to -summon/animate demiliches, even for wizards. However, turning into them, yes, I can see what you mean. I was thinking of making the 18th level ability actual lichdom, as the old Dread Necromancer class, but I'm not sure if thats "ballanced" enough for an 18th level class feature...maybe take away the undead transformation thing entirely and trade it for something else big and flashy? Not sure what that would be, though....maybe instead of becomming undead you get a "life drain" kind of power that restores your youth, giving you -effective- etneral life without making you undead and also providing you with another bonus, such as re-gaining HP to abuse with lifetap for moar slots/points?   Also, is 2 unspent poins for Undead Mastery bonuses and 4 unspent points for Aura of Desecration too much? Too little? Thoughts on this would be great, too.
#4 Matau99 Mar 19, 2015 9:47:22	Not turning into them, but you can absolutely summon one with Gate and then burn through all its legendary resistance (Contagion maybe)? Then Feeblemind to reduce its Int. Then just use that level 14 capstone to get a permanent demilich minion.
#5 PhyrexianKitsune Mar 19, 2015 9:52:00	Ahhh....I see, makes sense.  That I suppose that is the one advantage wizards have over these guys, though they are still roughly on par I'd say due to the stuiped ammount of undead these guys can control and the damage their minions can pump out. Also, contagion is likely to get an errata someday, which will make that combo entirely impossible if/when it happens.    Also, as I asked before, is the 2 unspent points for Undead Mastery bonuses and 4 unspent points for Aura bonuses too many or too few? I'd like opinions on this..
#6 Matau99 Mar 19, 2015 10:31:58	PhyrexianKitsune wrote:
#7 PhyrexianKitsune Mar 19, 2015 10:45:16	I changed the 18th level ability to give acssess to demiliches and the like... But am not sure if it is too weak or too strong.. Opinions?   would it be better to just give them a command ability that ignores intelligence, negating the need for feeblemind?
#8 Matau99 Mar 19, 2015 10:51:44	PhyrexianKitsune wrote:
#9 PhyrexianKitsune Mar 19, 2015 10:52:21	That looks good to me, actually. Thanks! Will go edit.
#10 Matau99 Mar 19, 2015 10:53:25	Great!
#11 PhyrexianKitsune Mar 19, 2015 13:05:24	Alright, made the final bit of edits, and I would like some more comments on this Sorcerous Origin! I'd espcially like to know if the unspent sorcerery point ammounts for the Undead Mastery bonuses and Aura of Desecration are good/solid numbers, but general advice on the origin, as well as any other thoughts/comments related to it would be most appreciated!