Necromancer

A withered old woman reaches out and grasps a battle-hardened knight by the arm. The knight laughs at the crone’s gesture before collapsing in mere seconds, desiccated and dead. A scarred and grizzled warrior in breastplate leads a charge through a detachment of soldiers, swinging a glaive, shrouded in dark energies, at her foes. A shambling, undead vanguard follows her path, and her slain foes rise to join their ranks. A grim, robed figure presides before his court, all arranged in a marble hall of gothic construction. Shambling corpses, abominations of flesh and bone, and dead-eyed charmed nobles wait in attendance, forming perfect lines in silent obedience. Necromancers are spellcasters that hold sway over the forces of life and death, twisting them to serve their own ambitions, and commanding small armies of lifeless, animated thralls.

Morbid Curiosity
Necromancers must match their grand intellects with an equal lack of scruples, the willingness to turn to forbidden knowledge and unquestionably evil methods. No matter their means, every necromancer is driven by a deep fascination with the dark arts and the power necromancy can afford them. Most see themselves as outcast members of the academic elite, braving new dark territories of magic that other spellcasters are too cowardly to explore. However, collecting knowledge expanding their understanding is merely a means to an end for most
necromancers—they are almost always driven by a deeper, darker impulse, a goal which pushes them to the utter brink. This might be the perverted ideal of a “greater good” or a goal to right the wrong of mortality; in every case, necromancy is a grim implement for their life’s work.

Masters of Undeath
Necromancers have learned through trial and error how to puppet the flesh, bone, and spirits of the dead, binding them to their will. Through their terrible magic, they command the forms of lesser undead, and demand respect from those powerful enough to resist their thrall. All necromancers share the capability of simply animating corpses, along with the knowledge and foresight to create new and terrible undead abominations to further their goals. Beyond the basic command over the undead, each necromancer specializes in a method to impart their will upon the world. Some dive deeply into the necromantic arts, whereas others focus on their ability to assert control over others, while others still master the art of both martial and magical combat. While their skills might seem specialized, properly prepared necromancers can dominate both on the battlefield and at the round table.

Creating a Necromancer
As you create your necromancer, the most important piece of information to consider is your character’s ambition. What is their goal? How do they intend to achieve it? How does necromancy fit into the picture? Once you’ve decided on your ambition, consider why they turned to necromancy to accomplish it. Were they scorned by their previous spellcasting master? Did they come across an old, rotting tome filled with forgotten knowledge? Were they the survivors of some great attack by another necromancer? Work with your GM to determine how necromancy is viewed in the world. Is it just another method of spellcasting, or is it an abominable tool, used only by the most abhorred spellcaster? How do commoners react when they see you? Must you hide your thralls from public scrutiny, and if so, how? Furthermore, do the other player characters know of your sinister magic, and if so, how have they reacted to seeing your puppeteered corpses? Work with other players, especially those with cleric and paladin characters, to find suitable reasons you might work together