Necromantic Studies

Dread necromancers strike fear into their enemies, driving them mad and cursing them with ancient power.

Aura of Cowardice: At 4th level, the necromancer radiates a palpably daunting aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within 10 feet of a necromancer with this ability. This ability functions only while the necromancer remains conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.

Misfortune (Su): At 8th level, as a standard action, the necromancer can cause a creature within 30 feet to suffer grave misfortune for 2 rounds. Anytime the creature makes an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, it must roll twice and take the worse result. A Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the necromancer’s level + his Charisma modifier) negates the effect. At 16th level, the duration becomes 3 rounds. This affects all rolls the target must make while the effect lasts. Whether or not the save is successful, a creature cannot be the target of the same necromancer’s misfortune again for 1 day.

Aura of Despair (Su): At 12th level, enemies within 10 feet of the necromancer take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This penalty does not stack with the penalty from aura of cowardice. This ability functions only while the necromancer is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.

Dread Necromancer Spells
0-Level: haunted fey aspect
1st-Level: discern next of kin, hex ward, hideous laughter, undine’s curse
2nd-Level: detect thoughts, mad hallucination
3rd-Level: bestow curse, healing thief
4th-Level: feast on fear, phantasmal killer
5th-Level: major curse, symbol of pain
6th-Level: harm, symbol of fear
7th-Level: insanity
8th-Level: symbol of insanity
9th-Level: weird

Fell Necromancy

Fossil Necromancy

[Source: Lands of Theia]

Fossil necromancy taps into the preserved remains of vicious creatures from eons past. The Lost Way grasps at dark power and harnesses it for the necromancer to control.

Fossilization (Su): At 4th level, undead created by the necromancer have the earth subtype and Damage Reduction 1/–. This increases to DR 2/– at 12th level.

Extinction Spell (Ex): At 8th level, the necromancer gains a special metamagic benefit. He can cast any single target necromancer spell he knows as a full-round action using a spell slot 3 higher than the spell’s level. If he does, the necromancer’s spell targets all creatures within 30 feet of the original target that share its type (or subtype if the target is a humanoid or outsider).

Fossilizing Touch (Su): At 16th level, the necromancer can spend 1 charge of channel negative energy and use his charnel touch to deal 1d6 points of Dexterity damage to a target. A successful Fortitude save at the channel DC halves this damage. A creature reduced to 0 Dexterity in this way becomes petrified, as if under the effects of a flesh to stone spell.

Fossil Necromancer Spells
0-Level: daze
1st-Level: aphasia, ear-piercing scream, stone shield, thunderstomp
2nd-Level: sonic scream, stone call
3rd-Level: swarm of fangs, tail strike
4th-Level: stoneskin, volcanic storm
5th-Level: hungry earth, icy prison
6th-Level: legend lore, tar pool
7th-Level: legendary proportions
8th-Level: wall of lava
9th-Level: imprisonment

Parasitic Necromancy

Parasitic necromancers refer to themselves as the cult of the Many, who believe that through the study of insects’ role in decomposition and destruction they might transform themselves into worms that walk.

Parasitic Swarm (Su): At 4th level, the necromancer can attract diminutive pests to swarm around him, biting and stinging other nearby creatures. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each level after 4th the necromancer can use parasitic swarm for 1 additional round per day. Once per round as a free action, the necromancer can direct the swarm to deal 1d6 damage to other creatures in a 10-foot burst centered on the necromancer. This damage is reduced by anything that would reduce damage dealt by an insect swarm.

Activating parasitic aura is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. It cannot be disrupted, but ends immediately if the necromancer is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round.

At 8th level, the necromancer can activate his parasitic aura as a move action instead of a standard action. At 16th level, he can activate it as a swift action instead.

Stinging Swarm (Ex): At 8th level, when the necromancer’s swarm deals damage, he can expend a necromancer spell slot as a standard action and deal 2d6 damage + 2d6 per spell level instead. A successful Reflex save against the expended spell slot’s DC halves this damage. This is a necromancy effect.

One with the Swarm (Su): At 12th level, while he is using parasitic aura, the necromancer can discorporate his body into the surrounding swarm and squeeze through any space that a single member of that aura could pass through.

Swarm Body (Su): At 16th level, the necromancer can take full control of his swarm. This functions as swarm skin, except the necromancer’s bones and equipment also disappear into the swarms. Every round spent using this ability costs 2 rounds of parasitic swarm.

Parasitic Necromancer Spells
0-Level: detect poison
1st-Level: adhesive spittle, corrosive touch, itching curse, obscure poison
2nd-Level: spider climb, summon swarm
3rd-Level: insect scouts, nauseating trail
4th-Level: poison, vermin shape I
5th-Level: acidic spray, plague carrier
6th-Level: greater contagion, phobia
7th-Level: greater insect spies
8th-Level: frightful aspect
9th-Level: energy drain

True Necromancy

Undead Cohort: At 16th level, the necromancer can select one of the undead on the table below as a cohort in place of his undead companion.

If the undead’s effective cohort level is lower than what is allowed by the necromancer’s level, the cohort gains class levels equal to the difference. A cohort with 1 class level gains the link and share spells abilities of an animal companion. A cohort with 3 class levels gains the evasion animal companion ability. A cohort with 6 class levels gains the devotion animal companion ability. The undead does not gain any abilities not listed here.

True Necromancer Spells
0-Level: disrupt undead
1st-Level: hide from undead, repair undead, restore corpse, sculpt corpse
2nd-Level: blood transcription, haunting mists
3rd-Level: animate dead, unliving rage
4th-Level: reincarnate, rusting grasp
5th-Level: mass repair undead, raise animal companion
6th-Level: create undead, undeath to death
7th-Level: control undead
8th-Level: create greater undead
9th-Level: massacre

Voodoo Necromancy

[Source: BoMT V2]

Voodoo necromancers kill victims efficiently to better appease the dark forces from which they draw power. These sacrifices give them better insight and make them even deadlier as they grow in power.

Sneak Attack: Starting at 4th level, the sacrificial necromancer gains sneak attack, which functions as the rogue class feature, except the necromancer’s sneak attack dice are d4s instead of d6s. The necromancer’s effective rogue level is equal to his necromancer level –3.

Rogue Talents: At 8th, 12th and 16th level, the necromancer gains a rogue talent for which his effective rogue level qualifies. He must meet any requirements when selecting these talents. In addition, the necromancer qualifies for the Extra Rogue Talent feat.

Voodoo Necromancer Spells
0-Level: daze, dancing lights
1st-Level: detect secret doors, hypnotism, sleep
2nd-Level: alter self, touch of idiocy
3rd-Level: suggestion, twilight knife
4th-Level: locate creature, phantasmal killer
5th-Level: contact other plane, mass pain strike
6th-Level: symbol of persuasion, transformation
7th-Level: mass hold person
8th-Level: resurrection
9th-Level: storm of vengeance