Here’s a Necromancer Compendium class I created for one of the players in my current campaign.

Here’s a Necromancer Compendium class I created for one of the players in my current campaign.

Here’s a Necromancer Compendium class I created for one of the players in my current campaign. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Notes:

He’s playing a Human Wizard and took Animate Dead as his Cleric Spell.

I have already discussed the trigger and Practiced Animation with him.

EDIT

Click the link for version 1.1

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cJed2NZfZs7nyHtkdjTr_Hz6rl6XY2SIn-_FUKB-S_Y/edit?usp=sharing

22 thoughts on “Here’s a Necromancer Compendium class I created for one of the players in my current campaign.”

  1. Right now it is quite simple. It’s like a specialisation in animate dead. Which is fine. I don’t see a reason to make it much more mechanically complex for the animation itself. But there is definitely room to make it more flavourful.

    Some suggestions for move themes could be:

    -eating a piece of the dead to gain their memories

    – soulbinding/ ghostly servant?

    – necromantic energy manipulation, like Ray of enfeeblement. (this could also just be a spell. Or it could work like black magic from the mage playbook.

    – some connections with Death. When another player is at the Black gate, you can see it. Perhaps manipulate the roll or the outcome?

    – the path to lichdom would probably be a separate CC, but maybe some way of shielding your soul

    -the pallor of death surrounds you. Animals are shun you, and people are skittish and nervous around you. When you project your foul presence, it can be used as leverage in parley.

  2. Overall: solid.

    Suggestion: Life Syphon is the least flavorful for these IMO. Maybe instead, expand the repertoire of necromancy spells? For example:

    [ ] From Beyond: When you cast Contact Spirit and summon a spirit from beyond the Black Gates, or cast Speak with Dead, the spell is ongoing. The spirit remains in your presence as long you maintain the spell or until you ask your question(s). Also, you can command the spirit to perform some minor task for you in place of asking it a question.

  3. I like all of that Asbjørn H Flø! As far as spells are concerned, I’m combing through the D&D 5e spells and will create 5 DW “Necromancy” spells (1 for each level), some of which will just be added to the spell list, and some that will only be available to be found (spell books or scrolls, etc.)

    I will work on some of the other stuff, but don’t want it to be too bloated because it’s a compendium class. Life Syphon really isn’t that good, so that gives me two slots to play with.

  5. Ha Jeremy Strandberg, I was just writing that I didn’t think Life Syphon was very good. “Great minds…” and all that LOL.

    I like Asbjørn H Flø “connection to Death” and may work on that, and From Beyond could be interesting too. I’ll work on replacing the Life Syphon moves! (Still plenty of time before he gets the Compendium Class).

  7. Asbjørn H Flø brilliant stuff!

    Brian Holland maybe consider giving the CC a danger/doom/portents that go along with it (or multiples?) to represent the necromancer’s growing animosity with Death and/or their withering soul?

    If you want, you could then tie some of their moves into those grim portents. “When you cast a necromancy spell and get a miss, you can choose to advance one of your Necromancer grim portents. If you do, treat the roll as a 10+.”

    Or you could just have them as a handy tool for when they roll a miss.

  9. I really like that Jeremy Strandberg!

    Defy Death’s Hold (a 6-10 move)

    When you cast a necromancy spell and get a miss, you can choose to advance one of your Necromancer grim portents. If you do, treat the roll as a 10+

    Maybe something like Asbjørn H Flø’s “pallor of death” for the 2-5 move…

  12. If you really want it to see play, I’d recommend giving them the “Defy Death’s Hold” move for free when they take the compendium class. Then, make the first couple grim portents unpleasant but not terrible, right? So it becomes something they start to use, and they see the path they’re on, but it’s so useful that they keep thinking about using it.

    If you make them spend a 6-10 move on it, they just won’t.

    I’ve built almost all of the Stonetop major arcana around this sort of mind game. For example:

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/i-SeyQnuCbI_t92cqNXZ_ZxvDKa8cepD0rQtkAwPgZP-wiVb1_dwL_H67O1AK9wnQXiXUa4_35yAVxgUEhNpEWB7hnOH6B1gsH0=s0

  14. I think that open’s some design space for

    Show Death Who’s Boss

    When you roll 12+ to cast a Necromancy spell, you may remove your most previously gained Necromancy Grim Portent. (wording can use some work)

  15. This is great – I’m currently switching a campaign over from 5e to DW and one character is a School of Necromancy wizard, so this will be very helpful. I had been tinkering with my own CC for that purpose but yours is much better!

    Here’s a move from mine that I will still keep:

    Dark Rites

    Any ground that’s soaked in death counts as a “place of power” to you for the purposes of necromantic rituals; graveyards, ancient battlegrounds, the gallows, a site of ancient human sacrifice, etc. When the GM gives you the list of conditions for a necromancy ritual in such a place of death, you may choose one condition related to either time or money and halve it.

    If I’m playing a necromancer, I want to be able to properly summon hordes of undead and not just a few combat-pets. A necromancy ritual can accomplish that nicely, and this move both flags it as a possibility to consider and then makes it mechanically easier.

    I also quite liked this move, but this kind of thing could be better pulled apart and turned into the grim portents:

    One Foot in the Grave

    Your pulse slows to a crawl and you begin to take on the look of the undead – in what way? Mindless undead no longer sense you as one of the hated living, and you are invisible to them. Intelligent undead are more likely to consider you an ally. Animals react with fear and aggression towards you. You no longer need to eat or drink (or consume rations).

  17. I think the CC is really coming along, but I feel the trigger to allow you to start taking the class is a bit weak compared to other CCs. It could be something with a bit more teeth than just successfully casting Animate Dead three times… something representing really crossing a moral line with your Necromancy.

    I’m thinking something along the lines of “When you suppress your qualms and animate the body of someone you care about”, or “When you murder an innocent thinking being specifically for the purposes of animating their corpse”…

  19. Instead of using Necromancy grim portents (which was a really cool idea Jeremy Strandberg), what are your thoughts on this:

    [ ] Defy Death’s Hold

    When you cast a Necromancy spell and get a miss, you may choose to take a STR, DEX or CON debility instead which cannot be cured by normal means. Describe how the Necromancy has caused the debility. If you do, treat the roll as a 10+.

    followed by…

    [ ] Show Death Who’s Boss requires Defy Death’s Hold

    When you roll 12+ to cast a Necromancy spell, you may show Death who’s boss by overcoming the taint of necromancy. Remove one of your Necromancy debilities, and describe how the casting allowed you to draw the taint from your body.

    Also, I’m still narrowing my list of spells to add. They’ll come soon.

  22. Thanks Tim Denee, I added it in. I’ve been making changes as they’ve come, so if you click on the link you can see everything up to date. With the exception of a more thematic trigger per Robert Rendell’s excellent suggestion and some Necro spells I think this is pretty close to being final.

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