Dread Necromancer

Prestige Class
Requirements:
Ability: Necromancy School or Death Domain and the ability to cast Create Undead
and Vampiric Touch. Proficiency in
Arcana or Religion.
Roleplaying: Be accepted into the School of the Post-Mortem in Rothera, Antarcti
ca.
Hit Dice: 3d4
Hit points per level: 3d4+Con
Proficiencies:
Tools: Alchemists supplies, undertaker's supplies (preservatives, salves, and su
rgical tools; 50gp)
Saves: None
Skills: Choose one of the following. Medicine, Arcana, Religion, History
Equipment: Light Armor
The Institution for the Free Study of Magic, located in Cephalon, is the
pinnacle of educational facilities
of magic and allows all magi to freely study within its halls. It offers basic c
ourses and laboratories for those
accepted into its fold. For each school of magic, there is a department within t
he Instutition. Despite its openness and willingness to allow the free study of magic, there has never been a ne
cromancer accepted into its fold.
At least, that's what they prefer the public to believe. The school of necromanc
y isn't quite accepted, even to
those who practice magic.
The Department of Necromancy, is a secret group that believes that necro
mancy isn't necessarily evil, but
can often used for the benefit of society; they frequently do. They are extremel
y selective in those that are
allowed to learn their knowledge. In the wrong hands, the power that they practi
ce can be used for terrible evil.
However, the Institution believes this is true for all magic and, clearly, so do
you.
To join this group, one must prove a dedication to the _secret_ practice
of the art of necromancy. This
proof is not stated. It is the responsibility of the applicant to express his or
her desire to join and provide
such proof. However, as this is a secret organization, this is quite a prohibiti
ve endeavor for most and that is
how the organization wishes it.
The department head, Cordiana Darksbane (600 year old elf female wizard)
, oversees the operations of the
department. This includes burials for locals and warding these graves for a fee,
defense from the dangers of the
deep roads, and controlling the other magi that may be overstepping their bounds
. This organization operates,
mainly, as a policing force for the mages.
As the organization remains secretive, its main meeting place is not wit
hin the campus of the Institution.
In fact, it is quite removed from the city of Cephalon altogether. The Departmen
t of Necromancy is located in the
city of Rothera. They own a small, unmarked building in the worst part of the ci
ty. There are currently 7 members
of the Institution that are a part of this deparment. The department head, Cordi

ana Darksbane, and Ostwald Glatstel

(gnome wiz m), Norril Arcanegrin (gnome wiz m), Carstine Wolfswift (half-elf wiz
f), Zannan Falconsflight (dwarf cl
m), Aluris Uldoros (Human wiz f), and Davros Felderson (Human wiz m).
Upon acceptance, spells are shared between members and secret magic is t
aught to its initiates. Members are
expected to provide services for the Department in exchange for knowledge and mi
nimal wages. A meeting is held on
each full moon within the sanctum. Each new member is given an Undertaker's supp
lies and a first task, usually a
simple chore or errand using these supplies.
When you join this prestige class, you gain the following benefits.
Spellcasting: Your levels in this prestige class are added to your wizard or cle
ric levels to determine spell slots.
You can no longer cast or learn spells of the abjuration school.
Profane Research
When you increase your level in this class, you learn up to two necromancy spell
s or you may research forbidden
knowledge rituals. If you research, you gain proficiency in an Int OR Wis skill
of your choice OR in your choice of
Int, Wis, OR Con saves.
Improved Animation
When you cast the Animate Dead or Create Undead spell, you may target any number
of creatures within the spell's
range. This use of the spell increases the casting time to 10 minutes and is con
sidered a ritual. The "At Higher
Levels:" section is altered so that there is no number before the creature names
.
Necromantic Resistance
You are so attuned to the power of necromancy that you become resistant to its e
ffects. You gain resistance to
necrotic damage.
Drain Life
At second level, when you hit with the Vampiric Touch spell, you also gain tempo
rary hit points equal to half the
damage dealt and the target loses the same number of maximum hit points. These h
it points can only be regained by a
greater restoration spell or an effect of similar or greater power.
Empowered by Death
At third level, corpses you target with Animate Dead or Create Undead gain tempo
rary hit points equal to your intelligence modifier times five. These temporary hit points last 8 hours.
Preservation
At fourth level, corpses you target with Animate Dead or Create Undead do not de
cay any further as long as they are
affected by one of those spells. If the spell ends, the decay that was prevented
immediately takes effect.
Necrotic Efficiency
At fourth level, when a creature's hit points are reduced to 0 by necrotic damag
e from one of your single target
spells, that creature immediately rises as a ghoul under your control.

Touch of the Reaper or One In Many or Damned One: Choose one of the following th
ree options at fifth level.
Reaper's Touch
Your control of necromantic power has grown to the point that a single touch fro
m you can severely harm the living.
Once per day, you may make a melee spell attack against a creature. On a hit, th
e creature takes necrotic damage
equal to its hit point maximum unless it makes a constitution save versus your s
pell save DC and you may use this
ability on your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half of the
damage. This is considered a spell
for the purpose of Necrotic Efficiency.
OR
Army of the Damned
You've studied the process of the animation of the dead to the extent that it be
comes trivial. In your studies,
you've learned how to improve the process of animating the dead by equipping the
m. You've also learned to increase
the effective area of your spells.
The range of your Animate Dead spell becomes 30ft. In addition, all undead you a
nimate have spectral armor and
spectral weapons or shields that they can wield with proficiency while under you
r control. You may choose what each
weapon is, but they are the most basic form of that weapon. Damage dealt by thes
e weapons is considered necrotic.
The armor grants a +2 bonus to armor class. The armor cannot be worn with other
armor. A shield created in this way
functions as a normal shield.
OR
Damned One
You've studied the anatomy of undead creatures and learned how to combine them i
nto a disturbing but powerful
single undead entity.
You may spend 8 hours working undisturbed to create an undead abomination; a mas
s of undead bodies stitched
together by necrotic magic. The ritual requires at least 20 medium undead under
your control which the ritual
consumes. The creature has the statistics below and is under your control for 24
hours. After the 24 hours expires,
the creature attacks the nearest living creatures it senses. The magic binding i
t together fades after 1 more hour.
The undead used to create the undead abomination become mindless undead, no long
er under your control. In order to
keep the abomination under control, you may spend 8 hours working on it again. I
f you manage to keep the
abomination under your control for one year, it becomes permanent and permanentl
y under your control.
If you use an additional 10 creatures with wings, the abomintation gains the abi
lity to fly. If you use at least 5
large or larger creatures, the abomination can wield large-sized equipment. It i
s considered proficient with simple
large or huge sized melee weapons and huge sized armor (not shields).
- Damned One:

Huge Undead (Construct, Monstrosity), Neutral Evil

AC: 9
HP: 12 (2d6+5) for every 2 undead creatures consumed in the ritu
al (120 hp minimum)
Speed: 25ft / 50ft fly (must use additional 10 creatures with wi
ngs)
Str: 23 Dex: 8 Con: 21 Int: 6 Wis: 10 Cha: 5
Challenge 9
- Senses. darkvision 60ft., Blindsense 30ft, passive Perception
10.
Languages understands the languages of its creator but
can't speak.
- Damage Immunities. Poison; bludgeoning, piercing,
and slashing from non magical weapons that aren't silvered.
- Damage Resistances. Cold, Lightning.
- Condition Immunities. Charmed, exhaustion, frightened,
paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
- Damage Vulnerabilities. Radiant, fire
- Absorb Necrotic. When the abomination is hit by necrotic damag
e,
it takes no damage and instead regains hit points equal to the
damage prevented.
- Aversion to Fire. If the abomination takes fire damage, it has
disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of
its next turn.
- Fear Aura. Any creature hostile to the abomination that starts
its turn within 20 feet of the abomination must make a Wisdom
saving throw versus your spell save DC. On a failed save, the
creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a
creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to
the abomination's Fear Aura for the next 24 hours.
- Turning Resistance. The undead abomination has advantage on
effects or spells that attempt to turn undead.
- Regeneration. The abomination regains 10 hit points at the sta
rt
of each of its turns. This ability ceases to function if the
abomination took fire or radiant damage in the last minute.
- Immutable Form. The abomination is immune to any spell or effe
ct
that would alter its form.
- Magic Resistance. The abomination has advantage on saving thro
ws
against spells or other magical effects
- Magic Weapons. The abomination's attacks are magical.

*ACTIONS*
Multiattack: The abomination makes two slam attacks and two bite
attacks.
- Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 feet, one
target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 feet, one targe
t.
Hit: 9 (1d6+6) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.