Category: The Dungeon World Tavern: Compendium Classes

Compendium Class: Necromancer

(New to DW; seeking any & all constructive feedback. Others have written several versions of a Necromancer base class; this alternate take is a compendium class to reflect a regular spellcaster who has chosen to specialize in Animate Dead, a la D&D 3e.)

When you animate the dead and pay a steep price (e.g., being cast out of your holy order, or forsaking part of your soul to dark forces), the next time you level up you may choose this move:

☐ Adept of Undeath

When you cast Animate Dead, on a 10+ you have the option of choosing one or more effects from the 7-9 list. If you do, you may choose to grant the same number of additional traits to the animated dead (up to the usual maximum of four). You may choose this option after rolling to determine how many traits the animated dead would normally receive.

If you are an adept of undeath, these count as class moves for you; you can choose from them when you level up:

☐ Shambling Horde

You ignore the penalties to cast spells from ongoing animated dead. 

☐ Legion of Horror

Requires: Shambling Horde

When you cast Animate Dead, you may animate a number of bodies up to your level.

☐ Graverobber

The corpses you animate need not be recently dead. However, if you animate a body that has has already significantly decayed, it will always be obviously dead.

☐ Rebuke Undead 

Requires: Turn Undead

When you turn undead, on a 10+ you gain ongoing control over mindless undead instead of causing them to flee.