So I hve a lot of time on my hands and started pondering what I wanted to make for my next d&d campaign and since I first started playing I always wanted to make a necromancer but just never got around to it... so now I want to make one and not just any one, but an amazing one!
I have checked stuff online and a lot of people say the necromancer for 5e is all over "meh" but I don't let that discourage me.
So anyone out there great at character building and knows how I can make a totally boss necromancer?
Greatly appreciated~
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You go Death Cleric I beleive, the Necromancy wiazard school is really bad.
WanderingBard wrote:
RoguishDelight wrote:
WanderingBard wrote:
The Necromancer Wizard capstone at level 14 is amazing, especially when one level later you get Feeblemind. Want a pet demilich? You've got it.
Matau99 wrote:
RubenRybnikk wrote:
RoguishDelight wrote:
RubenRybnikk wrote:
The multiclass combos posted at level 20 are asinine beyond belief.
Unless you're playing a campaign that starts you off at level 20, and thereby skipping the entire painful journey of being a gimp in your adventures.
Any reasonable multiclass combo should post:
A) what class do you start with, defines your initial profeciencies, saves, base HP, etc.
B) at what point do you start to multiclass. Remember, the attribute gain/feat that most classes get a 4/8/12/16/19, is tied to Class, not level. A cleric5/wizard6/paladin9 is not only going to miss out on one feat, but more importantly will get them at 4/9/15/19 (assuming that's the order in which you multiclass). As you can see level 12-15 you will suffer a power dip vs pure classes and that's not just due to one stat gain/feat, read on
C) Assuming you started as a Death cleric, and went to 5. All is well, you're at the same relative power curve as the Pure classes. Now you start taking wizard levels. Yes, Multiclassing 5E rules mean, your number of spell slots don't suffer for now (your slots will fall behind when you start taking pala levels vs a pure caster class), but your spell levels do I.e. The max level spell you can know from 1st level through to 20th level, will be level 3 spells. Yes, you can cast these spell as a higher slot, but you will not know any level 4/5/6/7/8/9 spells. I'd argue, the best spells in 5E is level 5+, which you get as a pure caster at level 9. They're the most potent spell you character will cast. They define you. Your character will NEVER ever learn higher than a level 3 spell. No Wish. No Time Stop. No True Resurrection. No Blade barrier. If as a 'necromancer' you're happy casting your level 3 spells using higher level slots for the rest of your characters life, so be it.
D) Don't think about the destination, think about the journey. Depending on your starting level, how do you envision you character's power will grow. If the answer to that is a positive one, sure, go ahead. Think about blocks, how am I doing from level 4-6, or level 12-14, again, depending on your campaign level. No point making an academic choice about a level 20 package.
E) Your character is going to be stat heavy, what are your potentially dump stats - not WIS, not INT, not CHA, they're each core to Cleric/Wiz/Pala. Is this a melee warrior using STR or DEX. Is he ranged? Can he afford a poor CON. Your entire army is dependent on you making you Concentration saves, so can't dump CON. Super human array with 16s across five attributes then?
F) I'm not even making the 'RP' argument, what makes a Death Cleric suddenly go Wizard, in the D&D universe they are vastly different classes. An Oathbreaker Paladin going Death Cleric as he sinks further into his zealous madness for Bane, i can be sold on that. Why did this Cleric/Paladin, a martial warrior who till date has gained his powers from divinity, suddenly start pouring into books and tomes, spending hours studying. How many middle aged men do you know who mid life switched their careers and went from being, say, a professional security officer, to enrolling in a course in partical physics. I'm sure it CAN happen, but why?
Honestly, I have a pure necromancer who took vampiric touch. Between that and grim harvest he is a scary, scary dude. He also uses blight and fireball regularly. The self-healing (though small) is a major boon to the necromancer who doesn't focus on undead minions (my guy has been unable to have minions due to townsfolk frowning upon zombies and skeletons)
Chaosmancer wrote:
Batgirl_III wrote:
Batgirl_III wrote:
It's very much a lead-from-the-front build but I like it.
Batgirl_III wrote:
JRutterbush wrote:
Wouldn't leaving your zombies in the sun in an arid climate for a few days pretty much turn them to jerky and cut down on the smell a lot? Then just slather them with scented oils.
Put your gutted, stuffed and stitched zombies to be in a smokehouse for a week, then animate them.
They won't rot, and will smell not unpleasantly of oak-smoked pork rinds.
Problem solved... 
Cairon beetles, are one option for removing the fleshy bits. As is a bath in some scolding hot water.
For storage of my undead minions, I'm fond of having them march into a nearby lake or slow-moving river. I've also had them dig fox holes, then had an Unseen Servant bury them. It's not like they need to breathe...
Eventually, you should be able to access a Bag of Holding. Even better, if you have a DM with abundant back-issues of Dungon magazine, try to convince her to run the Bag of Lodging adventure. Best item ever.
RubenRybnikk wrote:
Matau99 wrote:
RubenRybnikk wrote:
Batgirl_III wrote: