Master P., My Lord,
M. spotted our unwelcome visitors, and 1 am writing to
report our first confrontation. By the time this message
reaches you, I will have raised up more bodies for another
attempt. With M. to guide me, I expect no difficulty in
locating them again.
The first battle started auspiciously, exactly as you predicted. K. and I first eliminated their battle mage with
lightning and mage bolts, while the zombies lurched
towards the massed fighters. (There must be some way of
enhancing their speed - they make unwieldy tools in battle!) K. and I hurled more mage bolts and dead-hands at
their formation, dropping three warriors.
But Captain 0. had a handglyph - he must have stolen
it from B.'s library - and with it he crushed half the bodies
in a cone of lightning. That was the turning point. His
priestess T. - the same one who caused my current affliction - managed to place a hold on K., so he could no longer
reinforce my assaults. While I was still attempting a
riposte, she disrupted all of the wordings I had woven with
K. to protect us.
The moment of decision had passed. 0. and his remaining warriors dispatched the rest of the bodies, then turned
on me. In desperation, I called down the mist of death with
your scroll, and though I gladly report it claimed T.'s life,
it could not stop them all. My spells exhausted, stripped of
my defenses, I drank the potion and withdrew. Although I
managed to recover my grimoire and funds, I could not
save K., the incompetent. I doubt 0. will spare him.
The battle was not a complete loss, however: M. has
confirmed that we eliminated all their spellcasters and
four of their warriors. (He brought me T.'s eye as a token!)
Only 0. and a handful of his party remain. I would like
your permission to seek them out once again. With what
you left me. I can still raise up more bodies to assist me. I
eagerly await your decision.
Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant,
S., the Broken
As Sarzec's letter demonstrates, necromancer
NPCs can make ideal nemeses for a party of adventurers. In addition to their role as villains - a capacity
in which they perform most admirably - they also
have the potential to serve as unique and memorable
employers, mentors, or allies during the campaign.
This chapter explores both the common attributes
and diverse professions of these specialist wizards.
One of the main purposes of this book is to facilitate NPC generation for the DM. To this end, we begin
by summarizing the general requirements and abilities of wizards specializing in the "Art" of necromancy. (Detractors of this school more commonly
refer to necromancy as the "Dark," "Black," or "Forbidden Arts.") After establishing the necromancers'
common attributes, we turn to the varied roles of the
specialists in the campaign. These diverse professions
are encapsulated into separate kits which serve as
role-playing aids for the DM and player alike. Finally,
we conclude with a few new nonweapon proficiencies appropriate for necromancers.
The Standard Necromancer
The necromancer shares many attributes in common with unspecialized mages as described in the
PHB. As with all characters, the DM must first establish the specialist's ability scores, race, experience, spell
abilities, and proficiencies. These game statistics provide the most basic "skeletal" outline of the wizard,
which will be expanded throughout this book.
Ability Scores
Not all wizards can become necromancers. Masters
of the Dark Art must possess utmost self-control and
mental stability in order to successfully control the
powerful energies at their disposal. Frequent trafficking with the spirits of the dead and more powerful
creatures from the Lower Planes can exact a terrible
price on the sanity of these mages; weak-willed individuals have little chance of emerging from such
encounters with their mental faculties unimpaired. As
we shall see in Chapter Three, insanity and madness
are of paramount concern, even for the most wise and
experienced practitioners of the Dark Art.
Consequently, only wizards with a minimum Wisdom of 16 may specialize in necromancy. As with most
mages, they must also have a minimum Intelligence of
9 (their prime requisite). The character's ability scores
may be determined by one of the six methods outlined
in the PHB (page 13), though not all procedures are
equally likely to generate a character with the requisite
high wisdom and intelligence. Methods I and III are
least likely to generate a necromancer character
(roughly a 2-4% chance, based on random generations
of 1000 or more sets of ability scores). The chances
improve somewhat for Methods II, IV, and V (roughly
8%, 11%, and 15% chance, respectively). Only Method
VI offers about 90-100% certainty.
There are a few different strategies that the DM
can use when generating ability scores for an NPC.
The quickest method is for the DM to simply make up the ability scores. The DM can also roll up the scores
using the same method chosen for the adventurers in
the campaign. These approaches are best-suited for
low-level henchmen, hirelings, or other individuals
of minor importance in the long-term campaign.
However, if a necromancer is going to have a pivotal role during an extended series of adventures, the
DM may want to tailor the ability scores to properly
complement or challenge the party of player characters. In a heroic campaign, where the adventurers
themselves have unusually high ability scores,
should not their archnemesis be similarly endowed?
One might argue that the party's archnemesis should
have superior ability scores in most respects to those
of the typical PC. Where is the challenge in fighting a
weak enemy? The party will derive a much greater
sense of accomplishment in triumphing over a superior foe than an inferior one.
Given the "superior nemesis makes for better
gaming" theory, the DM may use the following alternative dice-rolling methods to generate ability scores
for necromancer wizards (in addition to Methods I-
VI of the PHB):
Method VII: This method is a quick way to generate
standard statistics for an NPC. Each ability score starts
with 10, modified by the roll of ld8 (each score thus
varies from 11 to 18, with an average ability score
around 14-15). The DM can speedily generate six ability scores and rearrange them to best compliment the
particular character. This method insures about a 75%
chance for randomly generating a necromancer NPC.
Method VIII: As Method VII, except give the necromancer a +1 bonus on Intelligence and +1 bonus on
Wisdom (18 maximum in each score). With these
bonuses, the probability increases to roughly the
same as Method VI (90-100%).
To avoid overbalancing the campaign with countless "super villains," the DM should use these last
two methods sparingly and only for NPCs (player
characters should be restricted to Methods I-VI). For
most "average" NPC wizards, the DM should simply
make up the score? or use Methods I-V1 from the
PHB. Examples of ability scores generated using
each of these methods are presented in Table 1 (on
page 10). The DM is encouraged to use these pregenerated
sets to expedite character creation, either by
choosing or random die roll (d6). This table may also
be used for random player character generation,
though only with the DM's permission (the DM
should choose the appropriate Method (I-VI) for the
campaign).
Table 1: Pregenerated Ability Scores for Necromancer Wizards by Methods (I-VI) from the Player's Handbook (page 13).
| Method I |
Str |
Int |
Wis |
Dex |
Con |
Cha |
|
Method IV |
Str |
Int |
Wis |
Dex |
Con |
Cha |
| 1. |
13 |
10 |
17 |
11 |
10 |
5 |
|
1. |
12 |
16 |
17 |
14 |
14 |
12 |
| 2. |
10 |
9 |
16 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
|
2. |
14 |
17 |
16 |
14 |
15 |
14 |
| 3. |
5 |
9 |
16 |
14 |
16 |
10 |
|
3. |
10 |
17 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
12 |
| 4. |
7 |
12 |
16 |
13 |
16 |
12 |
|
4. |
11 |
16 |
16 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
| 5. |
15 |
9 |
16 |
6 |
9 |
7 |
|
5. |
13 |
18 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
13 |
| 6. |
7 |
11 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
13 |
|
6. |
11 |
16 |
17 |
15 |
13 |
11 |
|
| Method II |
Str |
Int |
Wis |
Dex |
Con |
Cha |
|
Method V |
Str |
Int |
Wis |
Dex |
Con |
Cha |
| 1. |
17 |
12 |
17 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
|
1. |
9 |
17 |
16 |
11 |
14 |
11 |
| 2. |
13 |
10 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
|
2. |
10 |
17 |
16 |
15 |
16 |
13 |
| 3. |
12 |
16 |
16 |
7 |
13 |
12 |
|
3. |
10 |
18 |
16 |
11 |
13 |
10 |
| 4. |
11 |
14 |
16 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|
4. |
12 |
16 |
16 |
14 |
15 |
14 |
| 5. |
8 |
10 |
18 |
12 |
8 |
9 |
|
5. |
12 |
17 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
13 |
| 6. |
7 |
17 |
16 |
13 |
10 |
11 |
|
6. |
11 |
17 |
17 |
13 |
15 |
12 |
|
| Method III |
Str |
Int |
Wis |
Dex |
Con |
Cha |
|
Method VI |
Str |
Int |
Wis |
Dex |
Con |
Cha |
| 1. |
6 |
17 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
6 |
|
1. |
8 |
17 |
16 |
10 |
16 |
8 |
| 2. |
10 |
17 |
16 |
13 |
14 |
10 |
|
2. |
8 |
18 |
16 |
17 |
8 |
8 |
| 3. |
9 |
17 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
11 |
|
3. |
9 |
13 |
16 |
11 |
12 |
10 |
| 4. |
6 |
17 |
16 |
11 |
14 |
9 |
|
4. |
8 |
14 |
16 |
16 |
11 |
8 |
| 5. |
5 |
16 |
16 |
9 |
13 |
6 |
|
5. |
9 |
14 |
16 |
15 |
10 |
11 |
| 6. |
8 |
18 |
16 |
10 |
11 |
13 |
|
6. |
10 |
15 |
17 |
8 |
15 |
9 |
Race
As noted in the PHB, of those races open to player
characters, only humans may normally specialize in
the Dark Art. Compared with other demihuman races,
humans have by far the shortest life span and are
hence more likely to be concerned (or in the case of
necromancers, obsessed) with death. Indeed, many
human societies have revolved around a preoccupation with death and the afterlife, and one might argue
that the study of necromancy was instigated by certain
humans to help prolong their own lives. Other demihuman races, such as the elves and dwarves, have
such long lives that death (of natural causes, at least) is
usually a much less pressing concern. However, as we
shall see in Chapter Two, this rule can be relaxed for
some of the monster races when creating powerful
NPCs to challenge a high-level party.
Experience Level Advancement
Necromancers advance in levels like most specialists, as outlined in the PHB. While most player characters could spend their entire careers reaching 20th
level, NPC wizards created by the DM can be far
more powerful. Unlike many other character classes,
the spell abilities of mages continue to progress
beyond 20th level, and wizards continue to gain 1 hp
per level advanced after 20th.
An expanded level advancement table is provided
in Table 2. As with most wizards, necromancers with an intelligence of 16 or greater gain a
10% bonus on experience points, though this is normally not of much concern for the NPC, whose experience is designated by the DM.
Table 2: Extended Necromancer (Wizard) Advancement, Spells, and Level Improvements.
| Level
|
Experience
|
Hit Dice (d4)
|
THACO
|
Spell Levels
|
Proficiencies
|
Saving Throws
|
| 1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
NW
|
W
|
PPDM
|
RSW
|
PP
|
BW
|
S
|
| 1
|
0
|
1
|
20
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
1
|
14
|
11
|
13
|
15
|
12
|
| 2
|
2,500
|
2
|
20
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
1
|
14
|
11
|
13
|
15
|
12
|
| 3
|
5,000
|
3
|
20
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
1
|
14
|
11
|
13
|
15
|
12
|
| 4
|
10,000
|
4
|
19
|
4
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
1
|
14
|
11
|
13
|
15
|
12
|
| 5
|
20,000
|
5
|
19
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
1
|
14
|
11
|
13
|
15
|
12
|
| 6
|
40,000
|
6
|
19
|
5
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
2
|
13
|
9
|
11
|
13
|
10
|
| 7
|
60,000
|
7
|
18
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
2
|
13
|
9
|
11
|
13
|
10
|
| 8
|
90,000
|
8
|
18
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
2
|
13
|
9
|
11
|
13
|
10
|
| 9
|
135,000
|
9
|
18
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
2
|
13
|
9
|
11
|
13
|
10
|
| 10
|
250,000
|
10
|
17
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
2
|
13
|
9
|
11
|
13
|
10
|
| 11
|
375,000
|
10+1
|
17
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
2
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
8
|
| 12
|
750,000
|
10+2
|
17
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
8
|
| 13
|
1,125,000
|
10+3
|
16
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
8
|
| 14
|
1,500,000
|
10+4
|
16
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
8
|
| 15
|
1,875,000
|
10+5
|
16
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
3
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
8
|
| 16
|
2,250,000
|
10+6
|
15
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
9
|
3
|
10
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
| 17
|
2,625,000
|
10+7
|
15
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
-
|
9
|
3
|
10
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
| 18
|
3,000,000
|
10+8
|
15
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
10
|
4
|
10
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
| 19
|
3,375,000
|
10+9
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
4
|
10
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
| 20
|
3,750,000
|
10+10
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
10
|
4
|
10
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
| 21
|
4,125,000
|
10+11
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
11
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 22
|
4,500,000
|
10+12
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
11
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 23
|
4,875,000
|
10+13
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
11
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 24
|
5,250,000
|
10+14
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
12
|
5
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 25
|
5,625,000
|
10+15
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
12
|
5
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 26
|
6,000,000
|
10+16
|
14
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
12
|
5
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 27
|
6,375,000
|
10+17
|
14
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
6
|
6
|
13
|
5
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 28
|
6,750,000
|
10+18
|
14
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
13
|
5
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 29
|
7,125,000
|
10+19
|
14
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
13
|
5
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
| 30
|
7,500,000
|
10+20
|
14
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
14
|
6
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
NW: Nonweapon Proficiency slots; W: Weapon Proficiency slots; PPDM: Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic; RSW: Rod,
Staff, or Wand; PP: Petrification or Polymorph; BW: Breath Weapon; S: Spells.
Spells
As will be closely explored in Chapter Four, the
greatest powers of the necromancer arise from spellcasting. Like all specialists, they gain an additional
spell for each available spell level, when compared
with generalist mages.
This bonus spell is reflected in Table 2 (which
appears on page 11) and must be devoted to memorizing a spell from the school of Necromancy (listed
in Appendix 2 at the end of the book), or else it is forfeit. Thus, at 1st level, a necromancer could memorize two 1st-level spells (whereas general mages can
memorize only one), provided that the bonus spell
was from the school of Necromancy.
Due to their advanced understanding of the Art, necromancers gain a +1 bonus to saving throws against necromantic spells. Likewise, other characters suffer a -1 penalty on their saves against necromantic spells when cast by these specialists. The adjustments are cumulative, so two necromancers employing the Art against each other effectively negate these factors.
Another range of benefits applies to learning spells, though these are not normally a concern for the DM. For instance, they gain a +15% bonus to learning spells in the school of Necromancy, one bonus spell added to their spell books upon advancing to a new spell level, and the ability to create new spells as if they were one spell level less (see page 32 in the PHB for details). In general, these arc of little practical use for the NPC, whose spells are usually chosen directly by the DM.
Spell Restrictions
Necromancers do pay a price for their devotion to the Art. Because of the concentration in necromancy, they forgo all training in the schools of Illusion and Enchantment/Charm. As a result, they cannot cast spells from these neglected schools, unless the spell also falls under the jurisdiction of the six permissible schools. Consider the 6th-level spell enchant an item, for example. Although it belongs to Enchantment/Charm school, the spell may be learned by a necromancer since it is also taught in the school of Invocation.
Of course, necromancers do have a more difficult time with studying spells outside the Art for the first time (-15% chance to learn spells from permissible schools except necromancy). However, despite all these restrictions, the necromancer has a huge potential repertoire of spells at hand, limited only by the character's intelligence and diligence at spell research. Appendix 1 lists many spells available to necromancers, arranged by level and application.
Magic Item Restrictions
In addition to spell restrictions, the necromancer is slightly limited in the choice of magical items. Since this specialist lacks a formal background in the schools of Enchantment/Charm and Illusion, the Necromancer cannot employ the few specialized magical items based exclusively on these spells. As a general rule, if the magical item can only be employed by a wizard and it involves either spells or spell-like
effects from the Enchantment/Charm or Illusion school, then this device could not normally be employed by a necromancer. Thus only a few items from the DMG and TOM are forbidden: all wizard scrolls with spells exclusively from Enchantment/Charm or Illusion schools, rod of beguiling, staff of command, wands of fear and illusion, robe of scintillating colors, and eyes of charming.
Magical items available to all classes, which operate without specialized knowledge in the restricted schools, are generally allowed to specialists (including the necromancer). For instance, a potion of invisibility will work whether it is imbibed by a necromancer, an invoker, or even a troll. Similarly, the necromancer can easily employ rings of human influence and invisibility, rods of splendor and terror, cloaks of displacement, and all other items without class restrictions.
Proficiencies
To round out the necromancer's skills, the DM
should choose weapon and nonweapon proficiencies
for the character. These should depend on the necromancer's kit, as detailed later. The DM should also
refer to the new nonweapon proficiencies discussed
in this chapter. In this section, we describe only how
to determine the total number of proficiency slots
available to the wizard.
The base number of weapon and nonweapon proficiencies depends on the character's experience
level. These are summarized on Table 2. It is suggested that the DM employ the optional rule that
transfers the number of languages to proficiency
slots (page 16, PHB). Note that these bonus slots may
be applied to either weapon or nonweapon proficiencies, as desired.
A highly intelligent, powerful wizard will tend to
have many nonweapon proficiencies. Normally, the
DM should only bother to assign these skills if there is
some chance that they might augment a role-playing
situation. For instance, there is almost no point in
assigning nonweapon proficiencies to the evil archivallain
of a campaign, whose only purpose is to torment
and attack the PCs. As a short cut, the DM should only
chose weapon proficiencies for such a character and
simply assume that the NPC knows any skills necessary to carry out his or her fiendish plans. However,
for those NPCs who might interact with the party outside of direct, antagonistic combat (perhaps serving as
a mentor, teacher, henchman, or temporary hireling)
the DM should take the time to carefully choose their
selection of nonweapon and weapon proficiencies,
based upon their kits. These skills might help to further develop the character and make role-playing situations more vivid for everyone involved.
New Necromancer Wizard Kits
Kits are role-playing aids that help the DM (or
player) further define a character. The following kits
represent distinct sub-classes of the necromancer
wizard, each with its own goals, qualifications, and
roles for the campaign. With the DM's permission, a
select few (such as the Anatomist, Deathslayer, or
Philosopher) may be made available to PC wizards,
subject to the concerns raised in the Introduction.
Archetypal Necromancer
Archetypal necromancers employ the Art only
for their own twisted and evil ends. They revel in
animating the dead and forcing the corrupted
remains to serve their perverse appetites. Because
of the Archetype's vile excesses, necromancers as a
profession arc universally reviled in most civilized
societies.
The Archetypal necromancer was perhaps best
captured in the short stories of dark Ashton Smith.
The decadent Mmatmuor and Sodosma from "The
Empire of the Necromancers", powerful Vacharn,
and his treacherous sons Vokal and Uldulla from
"Necromancy in Naat", the vengeful Nathaire from
"the Colossus of Ylourgne", and finally the perverted Abnon-Tha with his timid assistants, Narghai
and Vemba-Tsith, from "The Chamel God." All these
vile and repugnant personalities serve to clearly
illustrate the Archetype at its lowest form.
In more recent fantasy literature, Sauron (Tolkien's
Lord of the Rings), Roxanne (the Thieves' World anthologies), and the Forsaken (Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time
series) are good examples of this kit.
Requirements: The Archetype is the classic malevolent wizard (any evil alignment will do). Black clothes
are a must (or at the very least, some somber attire).
Role: Stereotypical necromancers are consummate
villains, foul-hearted wizards of the basest sort. As a
result of their violently unrelenting and unrepentant
evil, these wizards are either promptly stamped out
of existence by the righteous arm of society, or they
are eventually driven out of civilization into the
wilderness. Most tend to be short-sighted, petty
scoundrels with few ambitions save to capture
unwary travelers, kill them in gruesome tortures,
and later animate them as a form of sick amusement.
Others plot in seclusion to gain the coveted boon of
lichdom so they can prolong their depravity beyond
the grave. The most dangerous ones harbor secret,
long-range plans to subvert or destroy the society
that exiled them.
The Archetype is an unsympathetic villain, and
Master Pizentios (the cryptic Master P. in Sarzec's letter at the beginning of this chapter) provides the DM
with an example of such a dastardly character. This
wizard is featured in the introductions of Chapters
Seven and Eight, and his NPC sheet appears in
Chapter Nine. As we shall see in the sample campaign of the Isle of the Necromancer Kings (Chapter
Nine), Pizentios makes a dangerous nemesis for even
an experienced party of adventurers.
Preferred Spells: An Archetype like Pizentios
embraces the Black Arts, though much of the wizard's notoriety arises from the perverted abuse of
gray necromancy (which includes animating the
dead—see Chapter Four). Otherwise, an Archetype
is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to necromancy,
adopting any (offensive) spells which further his or
her plans.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Archetype is generally limited much like a standard wizard and can
normally choose from among the dagger, dart,
staff, knife, or sling. However, at the discretion of
the DM, these villainous wizards may learn a single special weapon outside their restricted selection, at the expense of two slots. The necromancers
of dark Ashton Smith, for instance, rarely traveled
far without strapping on their scimitars. The Archetype can learn only one special weapon, chosen
from among the following: battle axe, bow (any),
crossbow (any), javelin, spear, sword (any), and warhammer. While these are not normally allowed to
wizard characters, they tend to be common among
Archetypes (especially at low levels).
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: none. Recommended: (General) any; (Warrior, these take 3
slots): endurance, survival; (Rogue) any; (Wizard)
anatomy, languages (ancient), ancient history, necrology, netherworld lore, reading/writing, venom handling. Forbidden: all Priest.
Equipment: Archetypes may own any equipment,
including a dagger, knife, dart, staff, sling, or their
chosen special weapon. Like all wizards, they cannot
wear armor when casting spells.
Special Benefits: Due to his or her devotion to
black necromancy, the Archetype typically gains 1-3
special abilities as outlined in Chapter Two (DM's discretion). These supernatural powers invariably result
from the wizard's heinous practices, which usually
include foul and unspeakable pacts with evil gods.
Special Hindrances: Most Archetypal necromancers pay a terrible personal price for their evil
powers. By embracing the Black Arts, they subject
themselves to countless dangerous side effects, the
least of which include curses, disease, physical deformity, and madness (the DM should refer to Chapter
Three for details).
Anatomist
Anatomists devote their careers to the scientific
study of the body, often using magical means to aid or
inform their research. These wizards are profoundly
fascinated by the seemingly infinite mysteries of the
human form. Anatomists gain their knowledge after
years of extensive research, typically performed on
cadavers. Their exhaustive experience makes them
vastly superior doctors when compared with the typical village healers who rely chiefly on herbal medicine
to cure the sick.
While some Anatomists use their knowledge to
heal, a most adopt this profession to further their
own dark motives. Some, falling into the "insane scientist" category, using their expertise to create blasphemous experiments, the least repellent of which include
the creation of cadaveric automatons, like flesh golems.
Others, who delight only in inflicting pain, practice
their skill on living subjects rather than cadavers.
These vivisectionists make the most exquisite torturers
and are sometimes found in the employ of despotic
rulers.
The Anatomist is chiefly inspired by the physicians of the 15th-19th centuries who increasingly
turned to the dissection of cadavers to improve their
medical expertise. Because of laws which prohibited
exhumation and mutilation of the dead, physicians
resorted to unsavory grave robbers to supply them
with fresh corpses for study. As a result of public
beliefs in divine or supernatural retribution for mutilating the dead, these dissections took place in the
most secret confines of the universities, reinforcing
the notion that physicians took part in arcane, cabalistic practices. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein - written in 1817 (before England's Anatomy Act of 1832, which for the first time legally provided British
physicians with cadavers for study) - drew further
parallels between the genius physician and the experimenting necromancer.
The Anatomist works best in campaigns with a
Renaissance background or a 16th-century historical
setting such as the one proposed in A Mighty Fortress.
An evil Anatomist would perfectly suit a RAVENLOFT®
campaign replete with "mad scientists" and their abhorrent creations. For ideas on the more twisted aspects of
the kit, the DM may refer to the classic Frankenstein,
numerous B, horror movies, and Van Richten's Guide to the Created. A short story from the fantasy Thieves' World
anthology, "The Vivisectionist," more closely explores
the theme of the torturer-scientist.
Requirements: The Anatomist may be of any
alignment.
Role: Some Anatomists use their specialized
knowledge for the good of humanity, serving as
skilled physicians and healers. However, because of
the taboo and stigma associated with the dissection of
corpses, almost all Anatomists must keep their experiments secret from their clientele. Thus, the Anatomist
usually fosters the appearance of being an "ordinary"
doctor or wizard who gains his or her knowledge
from ancient texts and university lectures.
Despite the public opprobrium. Anatomists have
no desire to flee society. Indeed, their entire profession is based on the close proximity of civilization. It
would prove impossible, for instance, to practice
their calling in the desolate wilderness (at least not
without considerable assistance from henchmen or
allies). Anatomists need a constant supply of fresh
cadavers on which to experiment, and these can only
be safely secured in a large town or city.
Dr. Ellandra Tolbert, whose detailed NPC sheet
appears in Chapter Nine, is an example of how an
Anatomist can easily fill the roles of mentor, employer,
or nemesis (Ellandra makes further appearances in
Chapters Two and Four). Because of her position in the
Anatomical Academy (a secret society of Anatomists,
detailed in Chapter Seven), Ellandra is in a perfect
position to hire a party of adventurers to help her
secure a new supply of corpses for study, clear out a
secret, new meeting house for the Academy, or thwart
an official investigation by the local authorities. If the
party does not have access to a cleric, Ellandra could
effectively treat their wounds, mend broken bones,
reattach severed limbs, or even bring a dead character
back to some semblance of life. Finally, she can serve as
a powerful ally (or nemesis) in combat. The DM can
thus easily introduce an Anatomist into just about any
campaign.
Preferred Spells: The Anatomist prefers necromantic spells that directly affect the physical body,
either before or after death (like corpse link, embalm,
delay death, empathic wound transfer, bone growth, and
graft flesh). They have little interest in the netherworld or undead (except perhaps as a convenient
means of transporting corpses to their laboratory for
study). An Anatomist such as Ellandra is hardly
defenseless in combat. While she may hesitate to
employ the Black Arts to incapacitate her foes, since
this magic tends to make a corpse unsuitable for later
study, she always keeps one death spell memorized in
case of dire emergency.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Anatomist is a mistress of small edged or cutting weapons, though this
wizard rarely practices such skills on the living. The
Anatomist's first weapon is a knife, with which she
or he automatically gains specialization at 6th level
as a special benefit (this fills the second weapon slot).
This skill entitles the wizard to multiple attacks and
the customary +1 to hit and +2 on damage bonuses.
After specializing in the knife, the wizard may learn
either the dagger, dart, cutlass, or short sword.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: healing (this
takes up two slots only) and anatomy. Recommended: (General) animal handling, animal training, artistic
ability, brewing; (Warrior) animal lore, hunting, set
snares; (Rogue) disguise, forgery; (Priest) local history; (Wizard) herbalism, reading/writing, spellcraft,
venom handling. Forbidden: None.
Equipment: In addition to wearing the robes and
mantle of a physician or scholar, the Anatomist usually carries all of his or her necessary surgical tools
(knives, saws, scalpels, retractors, and such) in a
characteristic black leather bag or small box.
Special Benefits: Through their studies, Anatomists gain knowledge to help the living.
Improved Healing: Anatomists make excellent doctors, gaining a +2 on their ability checks for the healing nonweapon proficiency. Patients resting under
their care restore damage at an accelerated rate of 3
hp per day (4 hp per day with the herbalism nonweapon proficiency). The healing rate is slowed by 1
hp per day if the patient engages in strenuous physical activity or adventuring. A single Anatomist can
care for up to 12 people in this fashion. When treating poisons or diseases (even those of magical origin), their patients are entitled to a second saving throw with a +4 bonus to resist the affliction.
Autopsy: Another useful skill of the Anatomist is
the ability to divine the cause and time of death by
thoroughly examining a corpse. This involves a careful dissection taking 1-6 turns minus 1 round per
level. The wizard has a base 60% chance, plus 2% per
level, of learning the specific reason and approximate
time of death (90% maximum, one roll required for
each check). This autopsy can reveal whether death
resulted from normal processes (like old age or natural disease) or foul play (such as a wound, poison,
spell, or magical disease). The accuracy of the estimated moment of death decreases with elapsed time
since the actual event. For instance, if the subject died
an hour before the autopsy, the time of death can be
fixed to within 1-4 rounds (after one day, the estimate
is only accurate to within 1-4 hours, and so on).
Special Hindrances: The Anatomist must regularly practice his or her skills or lose all the unique
benefits of the kit (namely the autopsy and improved
healing abilities). At the very least, the wizard must
perform one dissection on a human subject per
month in order to prevent these specialized skills
from atrophying. If the Anatomist lapses in the dissection schedule for more than a month, he or she
temporarily reverts to a standard specialist. The former status may be easily regained, however, simply
by performing twice the minimum number of dissections that were missed. Each formal study requires
one complete day which cannot be spent in adventuring, spell research, or other pursuits.
For instance, when Dr. Tolbert takes a month-long
sea voyage from Neverwinter to Calimshan, she has
no opportunity to dissect human subjects. When she
finally arrives, she has lost her kit abilities and
become a standard specialist necromancer. Once
fresh subjects are available, Ellandra must undertake
at least two thorough dissections, requiring two days
to complete, to regain her kit-related skills.
Deathslayer
The Deathslayer devotes his or her life to the
destruction of undead, striving always to rid the living world of their abominable existence. By mastering the Art, a wizard gains a greater understanding of these creatures which are neither fully living nor
entirely dead. The Deathslayer's militant opposition
to all forms of undead frequently places him or her
in direct conflict with other necromancers, such as
the Archetype and the Undead Master, who delight
in creating zombies, skeletons, ghouls, and other
undying monstrosities.
As Deathslayers gain power and experience, however, they eventually seek out increasingly dangerous undead, namely ghosts, vampires and liches. Not surprisingly, few survive for long in their chosen
profession.
In addition to various Van Richten's Guides, the original Dr. Van Helsing (on whom Van Richten's character is based) from Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Parl
Dro, the Ghost-Killer from Tanith Lee's Kill the Dead.
are sources of inspiration for this kit. The popular
comic-book hero Batman provides an interesting
example of the Deathslayer's personality. As a child,
Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered by street
thugs, inspiring him to devote his life to combating
criminals. As a hero. Batman never killed the "bad
guys" (he may have smacked them around a bit, but
he never killed them). The interesting thing about Batman's character, of course, is that he wants to kill all
the evil villains he defeats. He craves revenge, but
must continually fight an inner struggle to master his
darker desires.
The theme of evil (or a twisted form of good) fighting evil has become increasingly popular in modem
fantasy. Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone, perhaps the first fantasy anti-hero, makes pacts with evil
gods and employs black necromancy to save his
beloved, only to inadvertently slay her with an malevolent artifact. In the recent film The Crow, the revenant
is little different from his murderers, whom the vengeful spirit hunts down and brutally kills. Ultimately,
nothing prevents the Deathslayer from adopting the
same loathsome practices as his or her enemies.
Requirements: While it might seem that only
good characters would be attracted to this kit, in reality, it is open to wizards of all alignments who seek
combat or revenge against undead. In addition to the
usual 9 Int and 16 Wis, a wizard must have a 13 Str to
become a Deathslayer.
Spell Preferences: Since these necromancers tend
to be involved in countless battles, they prefer offensive and defensive spells (see Appendix Three),
especially those that detect or disable undead, such
as corpselight, chill touch, detect undead, hold undead,
bind undead, and so on.
Role: At some time in their lives, almost all Deathslayers have experienced a terrifying attack by some
form of undead, either directed against them personally or a loved one or family member. The celebrated
Van Richten, for instance, lost both his parents to a
vampire, inspiring him to become the famous "Vampire-Killer" of Ravenloft. Indeed, the vast majority of
Deathslayers are driven by strikingly similar motives:
an overpowering desire for revenge, mixed with righteous indignation and a good dose of moral superiority.
Of course, the Deathslayer need not be such a tormented and macabre individual. A lawful good
ghost hunter, for instance, may view this terrible, yet
strangely honorable profession as laying disturbed
spirits to rest, releasing them from their bondage to
the physical .world. The character's actions are motivated by compassion and selfless sacrifice, not
hatred or revenge.
On the other hand, the Deathslayer need not have
a such developed sense of morality. Neither is the
wizard required to be entirely sane. After all, the
Deathslayer's most common enemy is undead. Who
needs to be merciful, kind, or sane when habitually
dealing with such abominations?
A real moral dilemma arises when undead are
attended by a living master (usually another necromancer) or other living monster. Will the Deathslayer
use black necromancy to destroy these living beings
along with the undead? Unless the Deathslayer has a
pure and noble heart, the path of righteous vengeance
can quickly lead to great evil, madness, and despair.
Talib the Lich-Killer, whose detailed NPC sheet
appears in Chapter Nine, is a heroic necromancer, possibly serving as a memorable role model for necromancer heroes in the campaign. Talib is a wily old
Deathslayer - an interesting potential ally for an
unbalanced party. Talib is also mentioned in the Introduction, Chapters Two and Three. In Chapter Nine, an
adventure hook including Talib further illustrates the
potential role of a Deathslayer in the campaign.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Deathslayer may learn
any of the standard wizard's weapons (the dagger,
dart, knife, sling, and staff).
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: necrology.
Recommended: (General) any; (Warrior) hunting, set snares, tracking; (Priest) any; (Wizard) ancient history,
astrology, herbalism, languages (ancient), netherworld knowledge, reading/writing, religion, spellcraft, spirit lore. Forbidden: all Rogue.
Equipment: Though they may not wear armor,
Deathslayers may otherwise choose any other type
of equipment which will help them in their battles
against the enemy.
Special Benefits: At the start of his or her career, a
Deathslayer chooses a single type of undead against
which to focus his or her efforts. Typical choices
include the mummy, spectre, banshee, ghost, vampire, or lich (lesser, more easily defeated undead
make for unchallenging nemeses at higher levels).
This choice of an enemy is permanent and cannot be
changed during the wizard's life.
The Deathslayer gains powerful benefits when
fighting his or her chosen undead enemy:
Mental fortitude: Because of the wizard's extensive
study and preparation, the Deathslayer gains a +2
bonus on saving throws against mental attacks (if
any) caused by the Enemy, including charms and fear.
Battle Prowess: The Deathslayer also gains a +2
bonus on attacks against the enemy. This applies not
only to melee weapons, but also touch-delivered
spells and undead-specific special attacks (such as a
driving the stake through a vampire's heart or, in the
case of Talib, destroying a lich's phylactery).
Spell Prowess: The Deathslayer targets spells effectively against the Enemy, subjecting this type of
undead to a -2 penalty on saving throws. This applies
to all spells cast by the Deathslayer on the chosen
undead and is cumulative with the usual -1 penalty applied to necromancy (thus, the selected enemy
makes saves at -3 vs. the 'slayer's necromantic spells,
and at -2 vs. spells from other schools).
Special Hindrances: The Deathslayer never relents
in the pursuit of the enemy. This fanatical wizard is
driven, as if by compulsion or geas, on an endless
quest to seek out and destroy undead. In combat, a
Deathslayer like Talib will always seek out and
destroy undead in preference over living targets. If
the wizard encounters a mixed group of undead and
living creatures (like an Undead Master with a contingent of skeletons), he or she will deal with the
undead opponents first, even if they pose less of a
threat. A Deathslayer who willingly ignores this kit
responsibility automatically forgoes any experience
points he or she normally would have gained for the
encounter (or adventure).
The obsession to eradicate undead borders on mania,
and a few members of this kit are not the sanest of individuals. The horrors of continually battling powerful
undead can erode the mental health of even the most
strong-willed heroes. Even if they retain a fragile hold
on their sanity, Deathslayers are usually harsh and grim
in their dealings with others.
Philosopher
The Philosopher studies necromancy out of an
overpowering desire to master the forbidden and
secret arts shunned by the rest of world. Indeed, if
necromancy were not publicly reviled or a topic of
social taboo, the Philosopher would not give this
school of magic more than a cursory thought. The
Philosopher is curious about the forbidden, fascinated by the obscure. The Black Arts are especially
tempting to this wizard, who craves to unravel all
the dark, hidden mysteries of the universe.
The Philosopher is a theoretician, not an experimenter like the Anatomist. Instead, this wizard gains
almost all knowledge from the ancient (often banned)
books, scrolls, and magical spells at his or her disposal. When trying to resolve a particularly knotty
problem, the wizard may correspond with other
Philosophers or summon an agent from the lower
planes for interrogation. Knowledge and understanding are always the foremost goals of this kit.
Numerous examples of this kit can be found in the
short stories of H. P. Lovecraft and his literary successors, for whom this character became something
of a stereotype. Lovecraft was noted for creating the
fictional Necronomicon, a book of black necromancy
and baneful summonings supposedly written by the
Mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred, an insane wizard who
delved too deeply into his forbidden researches.
Many horror writers have expanded on Lovecraft's
notion of the demented scholar or sage (see "Return
of the Sorcerer" and "Ubbo-Sathla" by dark Ashton
Smith, "The Dweller in Darkness" and "Beyond the
Threshold" by August Derlith, "Shambler from the
Stars" and "The Shadow from the Steeple" by Robert
Bloch, "The Terror from the Depths" by Fritz Leiber,
and "Rising with Surtsey" by Brian Lumley). The
DM should have little difficulty locating source
material for this type of necromancer.
Requirements: Because of their fascination with
the darker side of necromancy. Philosophers may
only be of any neutral, non-good alignment (only N,
CN, LN, or NE). A Philosopher must have a minimum 14 Int, besides the usual minimum 16 Wis.
Spell Preferences: This wizard favors spells from
the spheres of necromancy (all categories), conjuration/summoning, and divination. During their
research, they have little use for alteration or invocation spells.
Role: The Philosopher is a demented and outcast scholar, forced to pursue his or her dangerous studies on the fringes of civilization. This wizard lives
like a recluse, always residing in the outskirts of
town or in the wilderness. The Philosopher's sinister
habits and fiendish summonings would repulse the
uninitiated, inflame neighbors, and quickly bring an
eviction by the local authorities. It is far easier to live
alone, attended by a few trusted henchmen or familiars who respect and occasionally assist in the work.
This wizard is not prone to adventuring and rarely
leaves the library, except when lured by the prospect
of gaming ancient books, necromantic scrolls, or magical items for study. Except for seeking out these new
arcane materials, the Philosopher remains almost
always at home. The most fanatical scholars set up a
bed in a corner of their library so they may work on
their research during all waking hours.
The most probable role of this character in the
campaign will be that of an NPC sage or scholar who
must be contacted by the party during the course of a
quest or adventure. Kazerabet, for instance, is a
reclusive Philosopher with a passion for ancient history. Her NPC sheet appears in Chapter Nine. The
famous author of the Art of Necromancy, her work has
been quoted in the Introduction and the final chapter
of this book. In the campaign of the Isle of the Necromancer Kings (see Chapter Nine), she serves as a
neutral source of antique lore for the adventurers,
providing them with background information for the
adventure. Locating the Philosopher, intruding on
her realm, and obtaining the desired knowledge
should prove to be an opportunity for lively role-
playing, given the eccentricities of the Kit.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Philosopher like Kazerabet has little experience or need for weapons, relying almost exclusively on her wits or spells during
an encounter. The wizard may only choose small
weapons that can easily be learned indoors (the dagger, dart, or knife).
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: netherworld knowledge, reading/writing. Recommended:
(General) artistic ability, etiquette, heraldry, languages (modern); (Priest) local history; (Wizard)
ancient history, astrology, herbalism, languages
(ancient), necrology, religion, spellcraft, spirit lore. Forbidden: all Rogue and Warrior.
Equipment: This wizard has little or no concern
for physical appearance or personal possessions
(unless magical, of course). As a result, the Philosopher will typically be poorly equipped, wearing
unkempt and unfashionable clothing, and carrying
little besides spell components and a small weapon.
Of course, Kazerabet is an exception to this generality because of her past history as a former queen.
Special Benefits: The Philosopher has the knowledge of a sage regarding spells in the school of
Necromancy, necromantic magical items, and the
netherworld (particularly the Lower Planes). When
questioned on this topic, the wizard has a base 5%
chance per level of immediately knowing the answer,
as if he or she had cast legend lore. As with the 6th-
level spell, the DM must decide on the specific
nature of any details learned by this ability. Since
most of the Philosopher's knowledge will be based
on the partly coherent ramblings of partially demented
necromancers (like him- or herself), there Is little to assure
that the answer to any specific question will be meaningful
or even comprehensible. If the wizard does not directly
know the answer to a typical question, the Philosopher
is constrained by the typical rules for the sage, outlined
on pages 106-108 in the DMG.
If the DM allows psionics in the campaign, the
Philosopher may possess one or more wild talents (see
Chapter Two for more on this). These unusual psychic
abilities result from the wizard's peripheral researches
on the hidden powers of the human mind, an interesting subtopic of necromancy (see the 4th-level spell
brainkill in Chapter Four). The Philosopher's unique
mental powers will certainly complement his or her
demented or slightly insane nature (see below).
Along with the usual benefits of the specialist, the
Philosopher gains a +30% chance (total) when learning spells from the school of Necromancy. Unlike
most other necromantic kits, this wizard devotes
considerable time to magical research and thus is
likely to have a very large repertoire of (mostly
necromantic) spells at his or her disposal.
Special Hindrances: Perhaps the greatest hindrance of this character is a tenuous grasp on reality.
Normally, scholars attempt to retain an objective or
unbiased view of their research. With black necromancy, however, such an emotionless and impartial
perspective is extremely difficult to maintain. Because
of the internal contradictions involved, spurred by
tamperings with extraplanar forces beyond mortal
reckoning, a Philosopher like Kazerabet loses a sane perspective on the normal world around
her. Her attitude about life is somewhat distorted by
the terrible secrets she has learned, and the cumulative burden of these inexplicable mysteries can be
unbearable.
Not surprisingly. Philosophers may become insane
(see Chapter Three), though rarely in a manner that
impedes their scholarly research. Even the mighty
Kazerabet is not without her paranoia and her irrational need for privacy (although these are possibly
not bad traits for a necromancer).
Finally, because of the wizard's extensive research
in necromancy, spells from other schools are much
more difficult to learn for the Philosopher, resulting
in a -30% penalty. Otherwise, the Philosopher has
the usual restrictions regarding forbidden schools
and magical items.
Undead Master
The Undead Master specializes in the creation of
undying minions and the summoning of extraplanar
allies. Above all, this necromancer craves power over
others, reveling in the thrill of commanding obedient
servants. The mindless undead, as unthinking and
ever-faithful automatons, make perfect and unquestioning slaves that will shoulder even the most loathsome burdens without hesitation. The Undead Master
enjoys dominating the feeble will of the living, subverting the dead, and controlling the fiendishly powerful.
Examples of this kit can be found in a few of dark
Ashton Smith's stories. The necromancer Malygris
from "The Last Incantation" and "The Death of
Malygris" and the vengeful Namirrha from "The
Dark Eidolon" make ideal models for this kit. Also,
the DM might check out Glen Cook's Black Company
series, which involves a necromancer known as the
Dark Lady, who subjugates her living apprentices,
creating the infamous Ten Who Were Taken.
Requirements: Members of this kit may be of any
non-good alignment.
Spell Preferences: First and foremost, these wizards are avid practitioners of necromancy that creates, augments, or controls undead. At higher levels,
these wizards eventually turn to powerful spells
from the Conjuration/Summoning school that call
upon extraplanar creatures.
Unlike most necromancers, the Undead Master has
access to the school of Enchantment/Charm, enabling this
specialist to dominate the minds of the living as well
as the dead.
Role: The Undead Master is a variant of the Archetypal Necromancer and, as such, makes a dangerous
villain for the campaign. However, unlike the Archetype, who tends to be a solitary menace, the Master is
always surrounded by a host of undead servants,
summoned fiends, bound genies, and charmed monsters. These wizards arc never encountered without a
large entourage of minions, making members of this
kit especially terrible foes in combat.
The Undead Master may be encountered both in
the wilderness and in the midst of society. In the
abandoned hinterlands, many Masters establish
petty domains where they can rule over legions of
undead with impunity. Eventually, the most powerful Masters gravitate back to human society, where
they attempt to impose their will over the living.
Sometimes, they magically establish a tower in the
center of a city, replete with their most powerful
guardians. The presence of an Undead Master in a
city directly challenges the authority of the local aristocracy, who will seek to remove the wizard, regardless of the cost (providing a good opportunity for
adventurers). Of course, the Master is always well
prepared for such "welcoming parties."
Sarzec the Broken (the author of the letter at the
beginning of this chapter) is an example of a low-
level Undead Master for the campaign. Along with
his associate Pizentios, he illustrates how a group of
allied necromancers can band together with deadly
results. This necromancer is featured again in the
introductory anecdotes for Chapters Seven and
Eight, and his detailed character sheet has been
included in Chapter Nine. Despite his low level, his
alliance with his former mentor Pizentios makes him
an extremely dangerous adversary.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Master may choose
only one of the regular weapons available to the wizard (namely the dagger, dart, staff, sling, or knife). At
higher levels, additional weapon slots must be
invested in nonweapon proficiencies. A wizard like
Sarzec almost never enters into melee personally, as
he relies on his minions for protection in battle.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: necrology,
netherworld knowledge. Recommended: (General)
etiquette, heraldry; (Wizard) ancient history, astrology, languages (ancient), reading/writing, religion,
spellcraft, spirit lore. Forbidden: all Priest, Rogue,
and Warrior.
Equipment: Although the Undead Master is typically outfitted like any wizard, this kind of character
tends to be vain, so he or she usually only obtains
possessions of the highest quality. Indeed, powerful
Undead Masters may consider themselves to be on
par with royalty (no matter how humble their birth).
A low-level wizard like Sarzec relishes a position of
authority such as commanding a ship of undead as a
captain. These attitudes are clearly reflected in their
choice of dress and accouterments.
Once they reach a sufficiently high level, Undead
Masters devote considerable attention to properly outfitting their numerous followers, from the lowliest
skeleton to the most powerful fiend. Only the uncouth
Archetype will send skeletons into battle with their
bony claws as weapons. Masters care not only about
the combat potential (weapons) of their servants, but
about their physical appearance as well. Sometimes,
the equipment of an archmage's servants will approach
the extravagance and quality of a royal guard.
Special Benefits: All Masters are able to command undead creatures, exactly as if they were
priests of the same level. Their ability to command
undead also extends to fiends and extraplanar creatures, which are treated as undead with the same
hit dice (without considering any hit point modifiers). This special benefit results from the wizard's
complete mastery of the baneful rites and conjurations that control or bind not only the cold undead,
but also the sinister inhabitants of the netherworld.
For example, Sarzec, a 6th-level Master, can command undead and up to 6-HD extraplanar creatures, exactly like a 6th- level priest.
Special Hindrances: In return for knowledge of
Necromancy, Conjuration/Summoning, and Enchantment/Charm, the Undead Master neglects study in
other schools of magic. The Master is restricted from
casting spells which are exclusively taught in the
schools of Alteration, Illusion, and Major Divination.
This significantly reduces the wizard's repertoire of
spells when compared with other necromancers (gaining the Enchantment/Charm school is more than offset by the loss of Alteration and Major Divination).
The Master may also not use specialized, wizardly
items that draw exclusively from these restricted
schools of magic, including wizard scrolls of any
restricted spells, wands of illusion or polymorphic,
robes of eyes, scintillating colors, or repetition (TOM),
crystal balls, amulets of far-reaching, extension, or meta-
spell influence (TOM), medallions of spell exchange
(TOM), talismans of memorization (TOM), Nefradina's identifier (TOM), or Tenser's portmanteau of frugality
(TOM). However, magical items which are available
to all classes (such as a potion of polymorphing), that
operate without specialized knowledge of the restricted
schools, can be employed.
Finally, the greatest hindrance of this kit is the
wizard's own self-centered personality, which often
borders on madness. Undead Masters tend to be
megalomaniacs of the highest degree. They always
consider themselves, their experiences, their feelings,
and their quests for power above those of others.
They demand to be the center of attention, ruthlessly
subverting (or even eliminating) those who contest
their supremacy. The Undead Masters' overwhelming need to be in complete control of every situation
and to dominate everyone around them results in
their most obvious weakness. Anyone who can successfully stand up to them will shatter their composure
and possibly provoke an irrational or poorly-conceived response, even when it runs contrary to the
wizard's established, long-term interests. Finally, the
DM should feel free to impose any additional penalties from Chapter Three, to more distinctively round
out the Undead Master's twisted character.
Other Necromancer Kits
In addition to the new wizard kits described
herein, a few kits outlined in the Complete Wizard's Handbook (WH) and the Complete Sha'ir's Handbook (SH) may be appropriate for a necromancer: specifically, the Academician, Militant Wizard, Peasant
Wizard, Savage Wizard, and the Witch (from the
WH), and the Astrologer, Ghul Lord, and the Mystic
of Nog (from the SH). Of all the wizard kits outlined
in these two resources, the Witch and Ghul Lord
stand out as particularly interesting and distinctive
roles for the necromancer in the campaign. The full
details of these kits can be found in the WH and SH,
respectively. Only a few remarks about each profession are offered as inspiration for the DM.
Witch
The Witch specializes in communicating with the
dead. Because of the wizard's contact with invisible
spirits, he or she learns many hidden secrets of about
the physical world. In a campaign, the Witch (also
known as a Medium or Spirit Channeler) can serve
as both a beneficial ally or as a frightening nemesis.
This is an interesting and distinctive kit for a
necromancer. Spells arc taught to the Witch by spirits
rather than by a living mentor or by reading a book
of spells. The Witch is basically an envoy or intermediary between the living and the dead, serving the
needs of both groups. Unlike the Deathslayer, who
may seek to lay undead spirits to rest, the Witch has
no such obsession (unless, of course, a spirit either
threatens her personally or asks for assistance).
In many ancient societies, consultation of the dead
(through a witch or medium) was a common practice. The Greek and Celtic equivalents, usually male,
would wrap themselves in the freshly skinned pelt of
a magical animal (that of a lamb in Greek society or
that of a bull among the Celts) and seek the counsel
of spirits in the lonely places of the wilderness, usually on mountain tops or by waterfalls.
In Roman times, the witch served as a diviner for
the community (like the witch of Endor from the Old
Testament). During the Middle Ages, the witch
gained a negative and evil stereotype, living on the
fringes of society like an outcast for consorting with
dark spirits (consider the three witches from Macbeth). Since their profession conflicted directly with
one of the chief purposes of the official or mainstream priesthood, witches were outlawed in almost
every period since the height of the Roman Empire.
With these widely variant historical interpretations
of the witch, the DM should have plenty of ideas for
incorporating such a character into the campaign.
Ghul Lord
Ghul Lords are necromancers who channel the
dangerous energies of the Negative Material Plane.
These necromancers do not cast spells like normal
wizards. Instead, they employ raw manipulations of
negative energy that can be used to attack, defend,
provide transport, and yield information. These
manipulations are not like normal spells, and are
powered by the wizard's own life force. However,
since their powers come from the Negative Material
Plane, Ghul Lords can only duplicate the effects of
spells from the school of Necromancy. Once they
reach 10th level, they also gain a limited ability to
turn or command undead.
These considerable powers do have a drawback.
The Ghul Lord pays a terrible price for them. The
negative energy slowly twists and corrupts the
user's body, eventually turning it into a hideous
monstrosity as the wizard progresses in experience.
In addition, since the Ghul Lord's powers involve the channeling of negative energies, the wizard cannot
try manipulations that duplicate spells outside the
school of Necromancy.
Since the Ghul Lord does not memorize and cast
spells in the standard fashion, he or she is a unique
type of necromancer, akin to the sha'ir wizard native
to the Land of Fate (of course, the DM can easily
transplant the Ghul Lord to any arid or desert climate). While he or she might serve as a spooky
"speaker of the dead" for a secluded village or town,
the wizard will usually be a reclusive loner because
of his or her progressively horrendous, undead
appearance. As the kit's name implies, the mysterious wizard will probably be encountered in the wild,
commanding a pack of ghouls.
Like the Arabian sha'ir, the Ghul Lord is at a disadvantage in melee when compared with standard
wizards who need only a few moments to unleash a
memorized spell. The Ghul Lord, in contrast, needs
at least one round of uninterrupted concentration to
prepare a manipulation. When designing a combat
encounter, make sure to include numerous allies
(undead or otherwise) to protect the Ghul Lord while
the wizard prepares his or her manipulations.
New Nonweapon Proficiencies
The following new nonweapon proficiencies are
suitable for use by NPC necromancers (and death
priests) in the campaign. At the DM's discretion,
these skills also may be made available to player
characters, providing they find an appropriate tutor
(a necromancer or death priest) willing to teach
them. Open possessors of these skills are viewed
with considerable alarm by mainstream society,
which normally regards such knowledge as unspeakable or taboo.
Anatomy (1 slot, Int)
This proficiency involves the knowledge of the
secret mysteries and intricacies of the human body,
including the structure, function, and location of
bones, muscles, organs, and other soft tissues. This
skill provides the scholarly foundation for the
Anatomist's special abilities. This proficiency also
comes in handy with certain necromantic spells
(such as corpse link, spectral voice, and graft flesh),
which require fresh body parts that have been carefully harvested from cadavers.
This proficiency also has some less gruesome bene
fits. A detailed knowledge of anatomy can help with
both the treatment of disease and the accurate artistic
representation of the human body. Characters with
the anatomy nonweapon proficiency automatically
increase their skill with healing and artistic ability
proficiencies (+2 bonus to both ability checks).
Necrology (1 slot, Wis)
A character with this skill is well versed in the lore of
undead creatures. This proficiency may be used to help
determine the probable lairs, dining habits, and history
of such creatures (no ability check needed). Whenever a
character with this skill confronts an undead, he or she
may be able to specifically identify the creature (discerning between a ghast and a common ghoul, for instance).
In addition, providing the character makes another successful ability check, he or she recalls the creature's specific weaknesses and natural defenses or immunities. At
the DM's discretion, a failed ability check (in either of these cases) will reveal misleading or even completely
erroneous information which may actually strengthen
or otherwise benefit the undead.
Netherworld Knowledge (1 slot, Wls-3)
With this proficiency, a character learns about the
cosmology and organization of the AD&D® game multiverse, focusing primarily on the ultimate destination
of spirits after death: the Outer Planes. In addition, the
character learns about behavior of the dangerous
creatures that inhabit the nether regions, including such
fiends as the tanar'ri and the baatezu. As with necrology (which applies exclusively to undead), netherworld knowledge can reveal the specific weaknesses and natural immunities of beings from the Outer
Planes. The proficiency can also be used to classify the
exact type of extraplanar creature encountered. Both of
these abilities require an ability check, however.
Spirit Lore (2 slots, Cha-4)
A character with the spirit lore proficiency knows
methods to contact spirits, deities, and extraplanar
powers. He or she can more easily communicate with
these beings, gaining a +5% chance of success (no ability check necessary) when attempting divinatory spells
such as augury, contact other plane, commune, divination,
speak with dead, summon spirits, and so on.
This ability may also be used to contact the dead
without resorting to magic (handy for low-level
characters and individuals who do not know magic,
such as psionicists). Using pyromancy (divination by
candles), tarot cards, and other mystical rites, the
character can ask questions of these powers as if
using a summon spirit or speak with dead spell (no
body required, and there is no applicable time limit).
Before beginning the contact, the character must
prepare for half an hour, making sure that the area
has no spirits around to confuse readings. Contact
with the dead is established if a successful check is
made. A failed roll reveals nothing. If the roll is 10
more under the number needed, a specific spirit can
be contacted. A roll of four or more above the needed
number (or a 20) reveals incorrect information, perhaps from an evil spirit. Individuals with the psionic
ability of spirit sense gain +2 to ability checks.
The summoner can ask questions of these spirits,
but the spirits are not obliged to answer. If annoyed,
the spirits can sever the link at will. The questioner
can ask 1-3 questions, plus one for every slot above
two spent on this proficiency. Contact may not be
made more than once per day and is inadvisable
more than once per week. The dead do not appreciate being disturbed and may take revenge. The DM
can refer to the new 4th-level spell summon spirits for
more details about interacting with the dead.
Venom Handling (1 slot, Wis-2)
With this proficiency, a character learns how to
safely use both magical and mundane poisons. There
is no danger of such a character accidentally stabbing
someone with a poisoned weapon. Also, the character can identify a poison and a possible antidote by
visual inspection of the venom or its symptoms in a
victim (with an ability check). In addition, a character can identify naturally occurring animals, plants,
or monsters that are poisonous (with an ability
check). Any roll which fails by 4 or more results in a
misidentification of both the poison and its antidote.
At the DM's discretion, characters with also the
animal handling, herbalism, and brewing nonweapon proficiencies may be able to manufacture
some of the more deadly poisons listed on page 73 of
the DMG. The cost and time required for such an
activity should be adjudicated by the DM, but providing all of the components are personally harvested by the character, it should take no less than
1-6 days to make one dose of poison. Magical poisons cannot be manufactured using this ability.
Long before Talib began to formally study the Art, Jal' and