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Necromancer

At a glance:
The dead are just friends you haven't animated yet.
Type: Mage
​​Primary Stat: Fortitude
​Secondary Stat: Willpower
Casting Method: Focus
Toughness Rating: 3
Picture
! CONTENT WARNING !
The Necromancer class heavily features death, bodies, and related topics, and may not be suitable material for all groups.

​TTRPGs with a trusted group of friends can be a great space to explore uncomfortable topics, but no participant (GM or player) should be forced to immerse themselves in material that causes them distress. Houndsong recommends a Session 0 as a best practice, and employing safety tools, especially if playing with unfamiliar people.
As always: Relict is intended for mature audiences, and discretion is advised. 

Friends Forever...And Ever...And Ever...

It is perhaps unsurprising that as soon as mortals learned to harness magic, they set about turning their newfound power against death itself. Necromancy, however, proved to be not so clean-cut a thing. As the practice developed, it became inextricably mired in the utilization of death and the undead, much more so than its prevention. While some practitioners still view this as a stepping stone to that ultimate goal, many more flocked to the study of necromancy for its own merits, seeking harness the dead for power, protection, and utility. The reception of these practices varies widely across worlds; seen by some as an abominable taboo, by others as a pragmatic solution, or even by a few as a means of reverence and devotion to those who came before. Regardless of how they're seen, Necromancers wield a power like few others, and are sure to elicit strong reactions whenever they display it among the uninitiated. 
At Level 1, gain the following features:
​

Animate the Undead. Your powers allow you to animate corpses as magical Thralls under your control. They respond to mental commands from you or take directions from your allies, if you allow them. If you are incapacitated, they will attempt to follow your last command for as long as they are within your Control Radius, becoming idle and unresponsive if the command is completed.
  • You may dismiss the animation of any undead you raised as a Free Action so long as they are within your Control Radius, and have not gone Feral. Dismissed Thralls are destroyed. 
  • Your Undead take their turns at the same time you do. You choose what order you and they take Actions in.
  • You may use an Action to perceive the world through the senses of one of your undead within your Control Radius. Precision Checks you make from this vantage have a -1d4 penalty. You may end this viewing with a Free Action at any time.
  • All of your undead can follow simple instructions and have access to the following Actions/Reactions in addition to those listed in their descriptions: Move, Shove, Grapple, Wait, Opportunity Attack (Reaction), Retreat (Reaction).
  • Corpses required by necromancy spells must be inanimate, are consumed by the casting, and cannot be re-used if the resulting Thrall is destroyed. Slain Undead monsters have a 50% chance of being usable as spell components. There is no restriction on using old or skeletonized remains vs. fresh ones.
  • Some of your Thralls' stats increase with your Character Level (CL).

Enthrallment Slots. Each undead you raise requires a portion of your power to maintain control. You have a number of Enthrallment Slots equal to half your Character Level (rounded down, minimum 1). More powerful undead require more slots. If you attempt to control more undead than you have slots for, the spell fails. Enthrallment Slot and Corpse requirements are NOT increased due to Necromancer being your Minor or Influence Class.

Control Radius. Undead you raise with your Necromancer abilities remain your loyal servants so long as they remain close to you. 
  • This radius is equal to 10ft. x Your Character Level.
  • Undead can stray from this radius for 1 Round per Character Level without effect. 
  • While you are within a Place of Power, your Control Radius doubles.
  • Undead who remain outside this radius longer than that risk going Feral. Feral undead become monsters under the GM's control. 
    • You may attempt to maintain control with a Willpower Check. The target for the check is 5 x the number of Enthrallment Slots the undead requires. You must repeat this check every Round the undead remains outside your Control Radius. The target increases by +1 for each consecutive Check.
    • Undead that go Feral no longer take up your Enthrallment Slots, but cannot be re-controlled.

Class Spells


Decay (1+)
Range: 30ft.
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 1 Mana
Tags: Attack, Infernal, Necromancy
Make a Spell Attack (1d12+Fortitude) against a creature you can see within range. On a hit, inflict 1d4 Infernal Damage.

Upcast: For every additional 2 Mana spent on this ability, increase the Range by 30ft, and inflict +1 Infernal Damage.  

Fleshcraft (2+)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 2+ Mana
Tags: Healing, Damage, Necromancy, Infernal
Select a willing creature you can touch. You heal 3 points of non-Infernal Damage the creature has suffered (in any combination you choose). Then, this spell inflicts 1 Infernal Damage on the creature.

Upcast: For every additional 2 Mana spent on this ability, heal 3 additional non-Infernal Damage, and inflict +1 Infernal Damage.

Gravecall (4+)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 4+ Mana
Tags: Attack, Necromancy
Force a creature you can touch to make a Fortitude Check against your Spell Check Target (Fortitude+Willpower+1/2CL), taking damage on a failure or half as much damage on a success.
  • Living Creatures: take 2d4 Infernal Damage.
  • Undead Creatures: take 2d8 Ardent Damage.
  • Constructs and non-organic creatures are unaffected by this spell.

Upcast: For every additional 2 Mana spent on this ability, roll an additional damage dice.

Interrogate Dead (2+)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 2+ Mana
Tags: Utility, Necromancy
You may cast this spell on a corpse and ask it three questions. Its spirit is compelled to answer, but may do so as it would have in life—including providing incomplete, misleading, or false answers, or answering in its preferred language. The corpse must have a head or skull, or the spell fails. Once a corpse has been affected by this spell, it is immune from all future uses of it. 

Upcast: For every additional 2 Mana spent on this ability, you may ask an additional question before the spell ends.
Raise Undead Sprite (2) (1 Slot)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 3 Mana
Requires 1 corpse (Small or larger).

Enthrallment Slots: 1
Tags: necromancy, follower, thrall
You create a small undead construct with the following stats: 
Health: 1 | Armor: 5 | Speed: 30ft. (walk) | Small, Undead
M: 0 P: 1 C: 0 K: 0 W: 0 F: 2 
Actions:
  • Scratch. Range: 5ft., (1d12+1) to hit, deals 1d4+1 Slashing Damage
  • Scurry. The Sprite moves up to 30ft. It may move through other creatures so long as it does not end on an occupied space, and does not incur Opportunity Attacks. 

​Raise Undead (3) (1 Slot)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 3 Mana
Requires 1 corpse (medium or larger).

Enthrallment Slots: 1
Tags: necromancy, follower, thrall
You create a skeleton or zombie with the following stats: 
Health: 5+(2 x CL)
Armor: 5 | Speed: 20ft. (walk) | Medium, Undead

M: 2+(Half CL) P: 0 C: 0 K: 0 W: 1 F: 4+(Half CL) 
Actions:
  • Slam. Range: 5ft., (1d12+CL) to hit, deals 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage.
  • Bite. Range: 5ft., (1d12+2) to hit, deals 1d8 Piercing Damage. On a hit, the undead may attempt a Grapple check as a Free Action.
​
Raise Spirit (4) (2 Slots)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 3 Mana
Must be cast at a gravesite, or where a sentient creature was killed.
​Enthrallment Slots: 2

Tags: necromancy, follower, thrall
You summon and bind a incorporeal ghost.
Health: 1 | Armor: 10 | Speed: 45ft. (fly) | Medium, Undead, Ghost
M: 0 P: 1 C: 0 K: 0 W: 0 F: 2 
Incorporeal Damage Immunities: the spirit is immune to all Common and Forceful damage types and related effects.
Actions:
  • Whispering Apparition. The spirit forces a sentient creature to make a Check against your Spell Check Target (Fortitude+Willpower+1/2CL). On a failure, it becomes Frightened for 1 Round.
  • Fade. The Spirit becomes Invisible until the start of its next turn. 

​
Raise Death Golem (6) (4 Slots)
Range: Touch
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 3 Mana
Requires 2+ Medium corpses, or 1+ Large corpse.

Enthrallment Slots: 4
Tags: necromancy, follower, thrall, golem, construct
You turn a mass of undead flesh into a hulking flesh-golem amalgamation. This spell consumes two or more corpses from Medium sized creatures, or one or more Large or larger corpse. If more than that are available, you may choose how many to incorporate into the golem. The resulting golem is always Large.
For the purposes of calculating its health, Large corpses count as two Medium corpses (+10 health), Giant count as three (+15), Humongous as five (+25), Colossal as eight (+40), and Titanic as sixteen (+80).
Health: (3 x CL) + 5 per Corpse Used
Armor: 4+Character Level | Speed: 30ft. (walk) | Large, Undead, Construct

M: 5+CL P: 3 C: 0 K: 0 W: 3 F: 6+(Half CL) 
Actions:
  • Pummel. Limit once per Round. The golem makes 1d4 Crushing Blow attacks against a single target.
  • Crushing Blow. Range: 10ft., (1d12+CL) to hit, deals 2d6 Bludgeoning Damage + 1 Infernal Damage per CL.
  • Trampling Charge. Limit once per Round. The golem must move at least 10ft. as part of this ability in order to use it.
    The golem charges in a straight line toward a point up to 30ft. away. All Large or smaller creatures in its path must make a contested Precision Check against the golem's Might, taking 3d8 Bludgeoning Damage on a failure or half as much on a success. Succeed or fail, all affected creatures are pushed to the nearest open space outside of the golem's path. Huge or larger creatures stop the golem's charge, and take 2d8 Bludgeoning Damage (no Check).

​Starting Equipment

If Necromancer is your Major Class, you get the following equipment at level 1
Armor & Clothing:
  • A spare set of Commoner Clothing. ​
Melee Weapons:
  • A Staff or two Daggers.
Magic Items:
  • An Ether Ward or a Luck Ward.
Adventuring Gear & Currency:
  • A pack and sleeping roll.
  • 5 torches.
  • A fire starting kit.
  • 5 days of rations appropriate for the region.
  • 50ft. of rope.
  • 10GP, 40SP, and 300CP.
Special Equipment
  • Necromancer's Satchel. Contains the remains of 2 Small fauna. 

Specializations

If Necromancer is your Major Class, gain the benefits below as you reach the indicated levels.
​Level 1
Intermediate Spellcraft. Choose 2 Generic Spell Perks. 
Necromantic Prodigy. Add 30ft. to your Control Radius, and you gain an additional Enthrallment Slot.

Level 2
Choose one:
  • Increase Mana Regeneration by 1.
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 3
Raise Complex Undead. You may raise Thralls that match Simple Undead monsters.
  • These Thralls require a corpse that matches their size.
  • Slain Undead monsters (if usable) can only be raised as the same type of monster using this ability.
  • Each requires one Enthrallment Slot per 5 Health the monster has, rounded up.
  • ​You must touch the target corpse and use an Action to raise them. This costs 2 Mana per Enthrallment Slot.
Level 4
Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 5
Choose one:
  • Increase your Fortitude and Willpower by 1.
  • Increase your Mana Capacity by 2.
Level 6
Choose two:
Channel Latent Power. As a Free Action, you may spend Fate Points to  temporarily increase your Enthrallment Slots. You must spend Fate Points in increments of 2 to use this ability, gaining 2 Temporary Enthrallment Slots each time. These slots last for one hour. When the effect ends, you must dismiss any Thralls you do not have Slots for, or they immediately become Feral.
Project Will. Add 30ft. to your Control Radius.
Thrall Command. Gain an additional Enthrallment Slot.

​Level 7
Choose one:
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 1.
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 8
Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Pick any unchosen specialization option from Levels 2, 4, 5, or 7.
Level 9
Choose two:
Advanced Deathcraft. Thralls you raise gain an additional +10 Health and +1 Armor.
Relentless Thralls. Thralls you raise have their Speed increased by +10ft.
Dedicated Thralls. Once per day, you may designate a single Thrall. It automatically succeeds on all Feral checks for the next hour.
Necrotic Beacon. You can craft a artifact that acts as an extension of your Control Radius. It costs 3,000 GP in materials, including either a 50lbs. sphere of Onyx or a 200lbs. sphere of Obsidian, and may be crafted as a primary activity over the course of a week (or Downtime during a Full Rest). When completed, the Beacon projects your Control Radius over an area if you were there. The Beacon must be left in place, unmoving, for an hour before it can activate. 
Resurrect Revenant. Once per month, you can resurrect a humanoid creature that died in the past year. This ability cannot target Undead creatures like Liches, Revenants, or Vampires.
This resurrection ritual requires the a mostly-complete body, with a head, and takes 16 consecutive hours, during which you cannot leave the body's side. If the target's soul (or player) is unwilling to return, the ritual cannot succeed.
If the ritual is completed, the target is returned to life with its mind and soul intact and its body healed of all Afflictions. Its Species becomes Undead (Revenant), and it is an Undead in addition to its other creature types. 


Level 10 
​​Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2.
Level 11
  • Pick any two unchosen specialization options from Levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, or 10.
Level 12
Choose two:
Necrophage. As an Action, you may destroy a Thrall you can touch. You heal 2d4 Damage per Enthrallment Slot it used. If the Thrall used six or more slots, you may instead heal one Affliction of your choice.
​Beckon Dead. The range off your Raise spells and abilities is increased from Touch to 60ft.
Command the Horde. Your Control Radius increases by 100ft., and you gain an additional 2 Enthrallment Slots.

Level 13
Choose one:
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2, or any two stats by 1.
  • ​Choose a Perk.
Level 14
Choose one:
  • Increase your Mana Regeneration by 2.
  • ​Increase your Stamina Regeneration by 2.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 15 
Choose two:
March of Death. Your Control Radius increases by 1 mile. 
Tide of Decay. Gain 4 Enthrallment Slots.
​Dominate/Destroy Undead. Once a creature has been the target of this ability, it is immune from future attempts. As an Action, force a hostile creature with the Undead creature type within your Control Radius to make a Willpower Check against your Spell Save (Fortitude+Willpower+1/2 CL). If it fails, it takes 6d10 Ardent Damage. If it survives this damage and you have enough free Enthrallment Slots for its remaining Health, you gain it as a Thrall. The health it had when it is dominated in this fashion becomes its maximum Health.

​Level 16
Choose one:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 17
Choose one:
  • Increase your Mana Capacity by 3.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 18 
Choose two:
Necropolis. Your Control Radius increases by 2 miles. 
Deathly Legion. Gain 6 Enthrallment Slots.
Resurrect Living. Once per year, you can resurrect a creature that died in the past hundred years. 
This resurrection ritual requires the a mostly-complete body, with a head, and takes 48 consecutive hours, during which you cannot leave the body's side. If the target's soul (or player) is unwilling to return, the ritual cannot succeed.
If the ritual is completed, the target is returned to life with its mind and soul intact and its body healed of all Afflictions. If the target was an Undead like a Lich, Vampire, or Revenant, its Species is changed to what it was before it became Undead.

Level 19 
Choose two:
  • Increase your Fortitude ​by 3.
  • Increase your Willpower by 2.
  • Choose a Perk.
Level 20 
​Choose two. You may select the same option twice:
  • Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x). 
  • Choose a Perk.
  • Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 1.
  • Pick any unchosen specialization option from Levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 16, 17, or 19.​
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