N Core Necromancer Traits Primary Ability Intelligence Hit Point Die D8 per Necromancer level Saving Throw Proficiencies Intelligence, Wisdom Skill Proficiencies Choose 2: Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Religion Weapon Proficiencies Simple weapons Armor Training None Starting Equipment Choose A or B: (A) Grimoire, spellcasting focus or component pouch, simple weapon, explorer's pack or scholar's pack, Light clothing/robes, and 15 GP; or (B) 100 GP ecromancers are practitioners of magic that concerns itself with death, decay, and the boundary between life and death. They study forbidden knowledge that most spellcasters refuse to touch, learning to manipulate the remnants of life, weaken the living, and command the dead. For a Necromancer, death is not an end, but a source of power waiting to be understood. Most Necromancers begin their studies with a forbidden Grimoire, a book containing knowledge deemed too dangerous to be taught openly. Through its pages, they learn spells that drain vitality, spread decay, and bend the dead to their will. Their mastery of necromancy allows them to control the battlefield, turning fallen creatures into weapons and using the lingering power of death to fuel their magic. The pursuit of forbidden knowledge rarely leads to an ordinary life. Some Necromancers become reclusive scholars, seeking ever deeper into the mysteries of mortality, while others are driven from their homes when their studies are discovered. Some seek to understand death so they might overcome it, while others simply see the dead as another resource to be mastered. Whatever their motives, Necromancers inevitably encounter the consequences of their studies. The dead do not always remain obedient, and the knowledge contained within their Grimoires may hold secrets that even their wielders were never meant to uncover. For those willing to continue reading, however, every corpse and every death offers another opportunity to learn. Becoming a Necromancer As a Level 1 Character Gain all the traits in the Core Necromancer Traits table Gain all the Necromancer’s Level 1 features, which are listed in the Necromancer Features table As a Multiclass Character Gain the following traits from the Core Necromancer Traits table: Hit Point Die, proficiency with Simple weapons, and proficiency with one skill from the Necromancer’s skill list. Gain the Necromancer’s level 1 features, which are listed in the Necromancer Features table. See the multiclassing rules in the 2024 PHB to determine your available spell slots. Necromancer Class Features As a Necromancer, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified Necromancer levels. These features are listed in the Necromancer Features table. Level 1: Spellcasting You have learned to cast spells through the forbidden knowledge contained within your Grimoire. See chapter 7 for the rules on spellcasting. The information below details how you use those rules with Necromancer spells, which appear in the Necromancer spell list later in this class’s description. Cantrips. You know three Necromancer cantrips of your choice, manipulating minor echoes of decay. Whenever you take a Long Rest, you can exchange one known cantrip for another as your dark insights shift. The Grimoire. Your study of forbidden magic culminates in a unique book: your Grimoire. This Tiny, 3-pound tome contains 100 pages of hidden lore and can be read only by you or through the Identify spell. Its appearance reflects your path—whether bound in stitched flesh, wrought from cold iron, or written in fading blood. It holds six 1st-level Necromancer spells of your choice. Each time you level up, you transcribe two new spells into its pages from the breakthroughs you uncover. Spell Slots. The Necromancer table dictates your magical endurance. You draw upon the ambient energy of mortality to cast your level 1+ spells, regaining all expended slots when you finish a Long Rest. Prepared Spells. You do not hold magic in your mind; you pull it directly from your tome. At level 1, choose four spells from your Grimoire to have ready. Your capacity for these prepared spells expands as your mind grows accustomed to the strain, as tracked in the Necromancer table. You can commune with your Grimoire during a Long Rest to completely swap your prepared list. Necromancer Features Level Proficiency Bonus Class Features Cantrips Spells in Grimoire Gained Prepared Spells 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 1 +2 Spellcasting, Death Essence, Forbidden Grimoire 3 6 4 2 — — — — — — — — 2 +2 Harvest Death, Forbidden Rite 3 2 5 3 — — — — — — — — 3 +2 Necromancer Subclass 3 2 6 4 2 — — — — — — — 4 +2 Ability Score Improvement 4 2 7 4 3 — — — — — — — 5 +3 Death’s Servant 4 2 9 4 3 2 — — — — — — 6 +3 Subclass feature 4 2 10 4 3 3 — — — — — — 7 +3 Forbidden Rite 4 2 11 4 3 3 1 — — — — — 8 +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 2 12 4 3 3 2 — — — — — 9 +4 Master of the Grimoire 4 2 14 4 3 3 3 1 — — — — 10 +4 Subclass feature 5 2 15 4 3 3 3 2 — — — — 11 +4 Greater Harvest 5 2 16 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — — 12 +4 Ability Score Improvement 5 2 16 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — — 13 +5 Forbidden Rite 5 2 17 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — — 14 +5 Subclass feature 5 2 18 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — — 15 +5 Death’s Dominion 5 2 19 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 — 16 +5 Ability Score Improvement 5 2 21 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 — 17 +6 Forbidden Rite 5 2 22 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 18 +6 Master of Death 5 2 23 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 19 +6 Epic Boon 5 2 24 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 20 +6 Forbidden Mastery 5 2 25 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 Spellcasting Ability. Your magic demands sharp intellect to calculate the fragile thresholds of life and death. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability, determining your spell save DC and attack modifiers. Spellcasting Focus. You can use an Arcane Focus or your Grimoire itself to anchor your magic. The spells written in your Grimoire reflect your personal journey into forbidden magic, but you are always searching for more. You might scavenge an ancient scroll from a crypt or pry a rival mage’s notebook from their cold hands. Transcribing Lore: Copying a discovered Necromancer spell takes 2 hours and 50 GP per spell level for rare materials and inks. Creating a Backup: Replicating your own known spells into a safe duplicate book takes 1 hour and 10 GP per spell level. A Ruined Legacy: If you lose your Grimoire, you can use the backup rule to quickly write down your currently prepared spells into a new book. The rest are lost to time until you hunt them down again. Many Necromancers hide a backup tome for this exact reason. Level 1: Death Essence You have learned to draw upon the lingering energy left behind when a living creature dies. This energy, known as Death Essence, can be used to fuel the forbidden techniques recorded in your Grimoire. When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you dies, you can use your Reaction to harvest a fragment of its lingering life force, gaining 1 Death Essence. You can have a maximum number of Death Essence equal to your Proficiency Bonus. Any Death Essence you have when you finish a Long Rest is lost. Some of your Necromancer features allow you to expend Death Essence to produce additional effects. If a feature requires you to expend more Death Essence than you currently have, you can’t use that feature. A creature that dies while you are already at your maximum Death Essence provides no additional benefit. Level 1: Forbidden Grimoire Your Grimoire contains the Forbidden Rites you learn through this class. These Rites are not spells and don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare unless a Rite states otherwise. Forbidden Rite. You learn one Forbidden Rite of your choice from the Forbidden Rites available to you. Whenever you gain a Necromancer level that grants you an additional Forbidden Rite, you can choose a Rite from the options available to you and inscribe it into your Grimoire. You gain additional Forbidden Rites at Necromancer levels 2, 7, 13, and 17. Forbidden Knowledge. Your Grimoire grants you an instinctive understanding of the forces of death. You have Advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) and Intelligence (Religion) checks you make to identify or understand magic, creatures, objects, or phenomena directly related to death, necromancy, or the undead. Spellcasting Focus. Your Grimoire can serve as a Spellcasting Focus for your Necromancer spells. Level 2: Harvest Death Your mastery of death allows you to draw more than raw essence from the moment a creature dies. Whenever you use your Death Essence feature to harvest a creature’s lingering life force, you can choose one of the following additional benefits: Lingering Vitality. You gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). Necrotic Surge. The next Necromancer spell you cast before the end of your next turn that deals damage deals additional Necrotic damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. Gravebound Step. You can move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks. You can choose only one benefit each time you harvest Death Essence. These benefits occur in addition to gaining the Death Essence normally provided by the Death Essence feature. Level 3: Necromancer Subclass Your studies have led you to develop a particular tradition of necromancy, shaping the way you understand and wield the forbidden knowledge within your Grimoire. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels. Choose a Necromantic Tradition from the options detailed at the end of this class’s description. Level 4: Ability Score Improvement You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see chapter 5 of the 2024 PHB) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Necromancer levels 8, 12, and 16. Level 5: Death’s Servant You have learned to bind a fragment of your own necromantic power to a corpse, creating a servant that obeys your commands. When you finish a Long Rest, you can perform a ritual that takes 10 minutes, during which you touch a Small or Medium corpse. At the end of the ritual, the corpse rises as an Undead Servant. The servant uses the Skeleton stat block, except it is Undead and gains the following changes: It understands the languages you speak, but it can’t speak. Its Hit Point maximum is increased by an amount equal to your Necromancer level. Its weapon attacks deal Necrotic damage instead of their normal damage type. It is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. In combat, the servant shares your Initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its Reaction on its own, but it takes only the Dodge action unless you use a Bonus Action to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or another action you give it. If you are incapacitated, the servant can take any action of its choice. The servant remains under your control until it is reduced to 0 Hit Points, you dismiss it as an action, or you create another Undead Servant. When the servant is destroyed, the corpse collapses and can’t be used to create another Undead Servant. You can have only one Undead Servant created by this feature at a time. Level 9: Master of the Grimoire Your Grimoire has become an extensive repository of forbidden knowledge, allowing you to draw upon its contents with greater versatility. When you finish a Long Rest, you can choose one Necromancer spell of 3rd level or lower in your Grimoire that you don’t have prepared. That spell is considered prepared for you until you finish your next Long Rest. This spell doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare. In addition, whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace one Forbidden Rite you know with another Forbidden Rite for which you meet the prerequisites. The new Rite is inscribed into your Grimoire, replacing the previous Rite. Level 11: Greater Harvest Your ability to draw upon death has grown powerful enough to tear more essence from the moment of a creature’s passing. Whenever you use your Death Essence feature to harvest the lingering essence of a creature, you gain 2 Death Essence instead of 1. In addition, when you harvest a creature that has a Challenge Rating of 5 or higher, you can choose two different benefits from your Harvest Death feature instead of one. You still can’t exceed your maximum number of Death Essence. Level 15: Death’s Dominion Your mastery over death has grown so great that you can impose your will upon the boundary between life and death. When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can use your Reaction to invoke your dominion over its fading life. Choose one of the following effects: Refuse Death. If the creature is willing, it instead drops to 1 Hit Point. Raise the Fallen. If the creature dies, you can cause its corpse to immediately rise as an Undead creature under your control. The creature uses the Zombie stat block and remains under your control for 1 minute. It takes its turn immediately after yours and obeys your commands without requiring a Bonus Action. At the end of the duration, it collapses. Dominate the Dead. If the creature is Undead, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC or become Charmed by you for 1 minute. While Charmed in this way, it follows your commands to the best of its ability. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. Level 18: Master of Death Your understanding of death has surpassed the limits of ordinary mortal magic. The forces of life and death no longer affect you as they once did. You gain Resistance to Necrotic damage and Immunity to the Poisoned condition. In addition, when you would be reduced to 0 Hit Points but aren’t killed outright, you can expend 3 Death Essence to drop to 1 Hit Point instead. When you do so, you can immediately use Harvest Death without expending your Reaction. Once you use this part of the feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest. Level 19: Epic Boon You gain an Epic Boon feat (see chapter 5 of the 2024 PHB) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. Level 20: Forbidden Mastery You have mastered the forbidden knowledge contained within your Grimoire. The boundary between life and death is no longer a barrier to your magic, but a force you can manipulate at will. When you use a Forbidden Rite that requires you to expend Death Essence, you can choose to expend 1 fewer Death Essence than the Rite requires. A Rite can’t have its cost reduced below 0. In addition, when you roll Initiative and have no Death Essence remaining, you regain 2 Death Essence. Finally, whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can choose two Forbidden Rites you know. Until you finish your next Long Rest, you can use each of those Rites without expending Death Essence once. This feature doesn’t allow you to ignore any other requirements or limitations of a Forbidden Rite. You can make a necromancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution or Dexterity. Second, choose the Sage or Hermit background. Third, select the Chill Touch and Toll the Dead cantrips. Necromancer Spells Cantrips (0 Level) Spell School Special Blade Ward Abjuration C Chill Touch Necromancy — Dancing Lights Illusion C,M Friends Enchantment C Mage Hand Conjuration — Message Transmutation M Mind Sliver Enchantment — Minor Illusion Illusion M Poison Spray Necromancy — Prestidigitation Transmutation — Ray of Frost Evocation — Shocking Grasp Evocation — Spare the Dying Necromancy — Starry Wisp Evocation — Toll the Dead Necromancy — True Strike Divination M Thaumaturgy Transmutation — Vicious Mockery Enchantment — Level 1 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Arms of Hadar Conjuration — Bane Enchantment C,M Cure Wounds Abjurationl — Detect Magic Divination C,R Disguise Self Illusion — Entangle Conjuration C False Life Necromancy M Hex Enchantment C,M Inflict Wounds Necromancy — Ray of Sickness Necromancy — Tasha’s Hideous Laughter Enchantment C,M Unseen Servant Conjuration M,R Level 2 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Alter Self Transmutation — Blindness/Deafness Transmutation — Hold Person Enchantment C,M Magic Weapon Transmutation C Melf’s Acid Arrow Evocation M Mind Spike Divination C Misty Step Conjuration — Ray of Enfeeblement Necromancy C See Invisibility Divination M Shatter Evocation M Silence Illusion C,R Because your magical origins stem from the manipulation of life and decay, any spell you cast that belongs to the school of Necromancy visually manifests with subtle, unsettling anomalies. A Chill Touch might look like the pale translucent hand of a departed relative, while False Life might turn your eyes black. Level 3 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Animate Dead Necromancy M Bestow Curse Necromancy — Counterspell Abjuration — Dispel Magic Abjuration — Fear Illusion C,M Feign Death Necromancy M,R Hunger of Hadar Conjuration C,M Life Transference Necromancy — Slow Transmutation C,M Summon Undead Necromancy C,M Vampiric Touch Necromancy C Level 4 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Arcane Eye Divination C Banishment Abjuration C,M Blight Necromancy — Death Ward Abjuration — Dimension Door Conjuration — Dominate Beast Enchantment C Evard’s Black Tentacles Conjuration C,M Freedom of Movement Abjuration — Locate Creature Divination C Phantasmal Killer Illusion C Vitriolic Sphere Evocation M Level 5 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Antilife Shell Abjuration C Cloudkill Evocation C Contact Other Plane Divination R Contagion Necromancy — Dispel Evil and Good Abjuration C,M Dominate Person Enchantment C Hallow Abjuration M Hold Monster Enchantment C,M Insect Plague Conjuration C,M Raise Dead Necromancy M Reincarnate Transmutation M Level 6 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Circle of Death Necromancy M Contingency Transmutation M Create Undead Necromancy M Disintegrate Transmutation M Eyebite Necromancy C Flesh to Stone Transmutation C,M Forbiddance Abjuration M,R Guards and Wards Abjuration M Harm Necromancy — Mass Suggestion Enchantment M True Seeing Divination M Level 7 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Etherealness Transmutation — Finger of Death Necromancy — Forcecage Evocation M Plane Shift Conjuration M Power Word Fortify Abjuration — Project Image Illusion C,M Regenerate Transmutation — Resurrection Necromancy M Sequester Transmutation M Simulacrum Illusion M Symbol Abjuration M Level 8 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Antimagic Field Abjuration C,M Antipathy/Sympathy Enchantment M Befuddlement Enchantment — Clone Necromancy M Demiplane Conjuration — Dominate Monster Enchantment C Maze Conjuration C Mind Blank Abjuration — Power Word Stun Enchantment — Telepathy Divination — Level 9 Necromancer Spells Spell School Special Astral Projection Necromancy M Foresight Divination M Gate Conjuration C,M Imprisonment Abjuration M Mass Heal Abjuration — Power Word Kill Enchantment — Storm of Vengeance Conjuration C Time Stop Transmutation — True Polymorph Transmutation C,M True Resurrection Necromancy M Weird Illusion C Wish Conjuration — Reaching the ninth circle of magic separates mere spellcasters from true masters of reality. For a Necromancer, these spells represent absolute control over the boundaries of life, death, and existence itself. When you cast a spell from this list, you are reaching into the deepest undercurrents of the multiverse. The casting leaves a lingering shroud of quietude around you, a testament to the absolute authority you now wield over the mortal coil. Forbidden Rites Forbidden Rites represent your deep, practical knowledge of the art of Necromancy. These dark secrets grant you unique abilities separate from standard spellcasting. Preparation: You begin your journey knowing one 1st-level Rite of your choice. As your power grows, your arsenal expands until you have a maximum of 5 Rites prepared at your peak. Shifting Lore: Your understanding of death is fluid. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can choose one Rite you currently know and swap it for another Rite for which you meet the prerequisites. Unshackled Mastery: Upon reaching Level 17, the boundaries of your hidden knowledge dissolve. All of your prepared Rites can be selected from any level tier, though your total number of prepared Rites remains capped at 5. Level 1 Rites Life Drain Cost: 1 Death Essence As an Action, choose a creature within 30 feet. It makes a Constitution saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC. On a failure, it takes 2d8 Necrotic damage, and you regain Hit Points equal to half the damage dealt. On a success, it takes half damage and you don’t regain Hit Points. Death’s Ward Cost: 1 Death Essence When you take damage, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier. If this reduces the damage to 0, you can gain temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. Corpse Servant Cost: 1 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, target a corpse within 30 feet that belonged to a Small or Medium creature. Until the end of your next turn, the corpse rises and moves up to its Speed, allowing you to manipulate it or perform simple physical tasks. It cannot attack. Withering Grasp Cost: 1 Death Essence When you hit a creature with a spell attack, you can expend 1 Death Essence to force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, its Speed is reduced by 10 feet and it has Disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of your next turn. Borrowed Vitality Cost: 1 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you gain temporary Hit Points equal to 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier. These temporary Hit Points last for 1 minute. Grave’s Command Cost: 1 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, choose one friendly Undead creature within 30 feet that can see or hear you. Until the end of your next turn, it has Advantage on its next attack roll and cannot be Frightened. Level 2 Rites Grave Step Cost: 1 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you briefly become incorporeal. Until the end of your turn, you can move through creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. If you end your turn inside an object or creature, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d10 Force damage. Death’s Grasp Cost: 1 Death Essence As an Action, choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. It makes a Strength saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC. On a failure, spectral hands seize it, the creature takes 2d6 Necrotic damage and its Speed is reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn. Siphon Spell Cost: 2 Death Essence When a creature you can see within 60 feet casts a spell that deals damage, you can use your Reaction to attempt to drain its magic. Make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, reduce the damage dealt to you by an amount equal to the spell’s level + your Intelligence modifier, if the spell targets multiple cretures you can choose to reduce the damage of one of them, and you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the same amount. Grave’s Resilience Cost: 1 Death Essence When you fail a Constitution or Wisdom saving throw, you can use your Reaction to reroll the saving throw. You must use the new roll. Animate Remains Cost: 2 Death Essence As an Action, choose a corpse within 30 feet. It rises and serves you for 10 minutes. The corpse uses the Zombie stat block. It follows your verbal commands and acts immediately after your turn. When the duration ends, it collapses. Death’s Rebuke Cost: 1 Death Essence When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can use your Reaction to deal 2d6 Necrotic damage to that creature. Corpse Sight Cost: 1 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you gain the ability to see through the eyes of a corpse or willing undead creature within 60 feet that you can see. You can perceive through it until the end of your next turn, gaining any benefits of its senses. You can also preform simple actions, but cannot attack or cause direct harm to a creature. Wither the Living Cost: 2 Death Essence When you deal Necrotic damage to a creature, you can expend 2 Death Essence to force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it has Disadvantage on Strength and Constitution checks and saving throws until the end of your next turn. Level 7 Rites Death’s Passage Cost: 2 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 60 feet. The space you leave and the space you arrive in briefly fill with necrotic energy. Each creature within 5 feet of either space must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC or take 3d8 Necrotic damage. Soul Rend Cost: 2 Death Essence As an Action, choose one creature within 60 feet. It makes a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 6d8 Necrotic damage and can’t regain Hit Points until the start of your next turn. On a success, it takes half damage. Gravebound Cost: 2 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you surround yourself with the remnants of the dead for 1 minute. You gain Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage, and you can’t be Frightened or Poisoned. Command the Dead Cost: 2 Death Essence As an Action, choose up to three Undead creatures you can see within 60 feet. Each must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC or be Charmed by you for 1 hour. While Charmed this way, an undead creature follows your verbal commands. It repeats the saving throw whenever it takes damage from you or your allies. Death’s Denial Cost: 3 Death Essence When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but aren’t killed outright, you can use your Reaction to remain at 1 Hit Point. Until the end of your next turn, you have Resistance to all damage except Radiant and Psychic damage. Corpse Walk Cost: 2 Death Essence As an Action, choose a corpse you can see within 120 feet. Your body dissolves into necrotic mist and reappears in the corpse’s space or the nearest unoccupied space. You can use this only if the corpse belonged to a creature of your size or smaller. Withering Aura Cost: 3 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you emanate an aura of decay for 1 minute. The aura extends 10 feet from you. When a hostile creature enters the aura for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 2d8 Necrotic damage and has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of its next turn. Steal Vitality Cost: 2 Death Essence When you deal Necrotic damage to a creature, you can drain its vitality. Until the start of your next turn, the creature has Disadvantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws, and you gain Advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. Level 13 Rites Soul Prison Cost: 4 Death Essence As an Action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet. The target makes a Charisma saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC. On a failure, its soul is partially torn from its body for 1 minute. While affected, the creature is Incapacitated, its Speed is 0, and it can’t regain Hit Points. At the end of each of its turns, it can repeat the save, ending the effect on a success. Commander’s Dominion Cost: 3 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you unleash your authority over death for 1 minute. During this time, whenever a friendly Undead creature within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll or saving throw, it can add your Intelligence modifier to the roll if it doesn’t already add it. Additionally, friendly Undead creatures within 60 feet of you have Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened. Reaper’s Touch Cost: 3 Death Essence When you deal damage to a creature with a spell or Rite, you can expend 3 Essence to force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 8d10 Necrotic damage and its Hit Point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the Necrotic damage taken until it finishes a Long Rest. On a success, it takes half damage and suffers no reduction to its Hit Point maximum. Deathless Form Cost: 4 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you assume a partially incorporeal form for 1 minute. While in this form: You can move through creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. You can move through narrow openings as if you were liquid. You don’t provoke Opportunity Attacks. You can’t be Grappled, Prone, or Restrained. You can’t be moved against your will. If you end your turn inside an object, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 2d10 Force damage. Mass Withering Cost: 3 Death Essence As an Action, choose a point you can see within 90 feet. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius Sphere centered on that point must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d8 Necrotic damage and has its Speed reduced by 20 feet until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, it takes half damage and suffers no Speed reduction. Raise the Fallen Cost: 4 Death Essence As an Action, you touch the remains of a creature that died within the last 24 hours. The creature returns to life with 1 Hit Point, provided it isn’t an Undead or Construct. Once a creature has returned to life through this Rite, it can’t be targeted by this Rite again until it finishes a Long Rest. Soul Sight Cost: 4 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you gain Truesight out to 60 feet for 10 minutes. During this time, you can perceive the life force of creatures you see, allowing you to know whether a creature is living, Undead, or neither. Grave Sovereignty Cost: 5 Death Essence As an Action, you establish a 30-foot-radius Sphere centered on yourself that lasts for 1 minute. The area is difficult terrain for hostile creatures. Whenever a hostile creature starts its turn within the area, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is Frightened of you until the start of its next turn. Undead creatures of your choice within the area instead gain Advantage on attack rolls and saving throws. A Necromancer does not merely command the dead; they bind them to an unyielding hierarchy. While your undead thralls act with flawless coordination under your aura, they require constant mental focus to sustain. Should your concentration shatter or your resolve falter, the magic holding them together slips, turning organized servants back into mindless, chaotic husks hungry for the spark of life. Level 17 Rites Avatar of Death Cost: 6 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, you assume an avatar of death for 1 minute. You gain a Fly Speed equal to your Speed, Resistance to all damage except Radiant and Psychic, and you can move through creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. The first time you enter a creature’s space on a turn, that creature takes 4d10 Necrotic damage. Army of the Dead Cost: 6 Death Essence As an Action, choose up to six corpses you can see within 60 feet. The corpses rise as Undead and remain animated for 1 hour. Each uses the Wight stat block, except it can’t create additional Undead. The Undead are friendly to you and obey your verbal commands. When the duration ends, they collapse. Death’s Reversal Cost: 5 Death Essence When you or a friendly creature within 30 feet dies, you can use your Reaction within 1 minute of its death to restore that creature to life with Hit Points equal to half its Hit Point maximum. The creature can return to life even if its body has been damaged, provided some portion of its remains is present. Soul Devouring Cost: 5 Death Essence As an Action, choose one creature within 60 feet. It makes a Constitution saving throw against your Necromancer spell save DC. On a failed save, it takes 10d10 Necrotic damage and its Hit Point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken until it finishes a Long Rest. If this reduces its Hit Point maximum to 0, the creature dies. On a successful save, it takes half damage and suffers no reduction to its Hit Point maximum. Lord of the Grave Cost: 4 Death Essence As a Bonus Action, choose up to five friendly Undead creatures within 60 feet. For 1 minute, each gains: Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. Advantage on attack rolls. Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened. Temporary Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. Death’s Domain Cost: 6 Death Essence As an Action, you create a 30-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point you can see within 120 feet. The area lasts for 1 minute. The area is difficult terrain for hostile creatures. Whenever a hostile creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 6d8 Necrotic damage and is Frightened of you until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half damage and isn’t Frightened. Friendly Undead in the area instead regain 3d8 Hit Points at the start of their turns. Necromantic Traditions A Necromantic Tradition is a spectiliziation that grants you features at certain Necromancer Levels, as specified in the tradition. This section presents the Grave, Withered Soul, and Forbidden Word traditions Tradition of the Grave Master of Undeath Your study of necromancy is focused on the dead, seeking to understand the forces that linger beyond the grave and the magic that binds the fallen to the mortal world. You learn to raise the dead, command the undead, and strengthen those who have passed beyond the reach of ordinary life. To you, death is not an ending, but a force that can be studied, shaped, and commanded. Necromancers of the Tradition of the Grave are sought when the dead refuse to rest, when armies of undead threaten the living, or when ancient tombs conceal servants that must be brought under control. Adventuring parties value Grave Necromancers for the tireless servants they command and the power they wield over the boundary between life and death. The Necromantic Tradition of the Grave is an ancient, forbidden practice. Mages who walk this path often find their bodies transforming, taking on a gaunt, deathly appearance as they blur the line between life and death. Tragically, many are brutally shunned from their ancestral villages once their morbid nature is discovered. Later in life, consumed by the cold detachment of the grave, many of these exile mages return to ravage the very settlements that cast them out into the dark. Level 3: Gravebound Servant Your study of necromancy has taught you to bind a fragment of your own magical power to the remains of the dead, creating a servant that answers to you alone. When you finish a Long Rest, you can perform a ritual over the corpse of a Medium or Small creature that has been dead for no longer than 24 hours, transforming it into your Gravebound Servant. The corpse rises as an Undead creature under your control and remains your Gravebound Servant until it is destroyed or you create another one. Your Gravebound Servant uses the Zombie stat block, with the following changes: It is friendly to you and your allies and obeys your commands. It understands the languages you speak, but it can’t speak. Its Hit Point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Necromancer level. Its Speed increases by 10 feet. It adds your Proficiency Bonus to its attack rolls. When it deals damage with an attack, you can have the damage be Necrotic instead of its normal damage type. The Gravebound Servant shares your Initiative count and acts immediately after your turn. It can move and use its Reaction on its own, and follows your commands without requiring an action from you. If you are Incapacitated, it acts independently and attempts to protect you. If your Gravebound Servant is destroyed, you can create a new one by performing the ritual again over another eligible corpse when you finish a Long Rest. Level 6: Empowered Undeath Your mastery of necromancy allows you to strengthen the undead under your command. Whenever you or a friendly Undead creature within 30 feet of you rolls Initiative, it gains Temporary Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. Additionally, friendly Undead creatures within 30 feet of you gain a bonus to their damage rolls equal to your Proficiency Bonus. Level 10: Deathless Mastery Your connection to the dead has begun to alter your own body, making you increasingly resistant to the effects of mortality. You have Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed, Frightened, and Poisoned conditions, and you have Resistance to Poison damage. Additionally, you no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe. Level 14: Lord of the Grave Your mastery over necromancy has made you a sovereign over the dead. Undead creatures under your command become extensions of your will. Your Gravebound Servant gains the following benefits: Its Hit Point maximum increases by an additional amount equal to your Necromancer level. Its Speed increases by an additional 10 feet. It gains Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. It can make two attacks when it takes the Attack action. Additionally, whenever a friendly Undead creature within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can use your Reaction to cause it to drop to 1 Hit Point instead. Once you use this reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest. Finally, your Empowered Undeath feature’s range increases from 30 feet to 60 feet. Tradition of the Withered Soul Mastery of Life Force Your study of necromancy is focused on the life force that binds living creatures to their bodies. You learn to drain vitality, wither flesh, and turn the strength of your enemies into power of your own. To you, death is not merely the absence of life, but the final result of a force that can be weakened, stolen, and manipulated. Necromancers of the Tradition of the Withered Soul are sought when powerful creatures must be brought low, when unnatural vitality threatens the natural order, or when an enemy’s strength must be turned against them. Adventuring parties value Withered Soul Necromancers for their ability to weaken foes, sustain themselves through battle, and endure wounds that would bring down other spellcasters. Level 3: Siphon Life You have learned to draw the life force from those you wound, turning their vitality into your own. Once on each of your turns, when you deal Necrotic damage to a creature, you can regain Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier + Proficiency Bonus. Level 6: Withering Power Your magic leaves lasting weakness in those it touches. Once on each of your turns when you deal Necrotic damage to a creature, you can cause it to wither until the start of your next turn. While withered, its Speed is reduced by 10 feet, and it has Disadvantage on the next Strength or Constitution saving throw it makes before the effect ends. Level 10: Death’s Hunger Your hunger for life force has grown beyond mere survival. You can tear greater strength from those you wither. Once on each of your turns, when you deal Necrotic damage to a creature, you can cause it to lose Temporary Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier, if it has any. You then gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the amount lost. If the creature has no Temporary Hit Points, you instead gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. Level 14: Master of the Withered Soul You have mastered the power to consume the vitality of the living. Your Necrotic magic can strip away the strength that sustains a creature, leaving only a withered shell. Once on each of your turns, when you deal Necrotic damage