Dungeons & Dragons allows players to create characters with a high degree of personalization, catering to various styles of play and character types through different classes, subclasses, and races. Among the options available for spellcasters, necromancers often stand out, as they utilize powerful magic to raise the dead.
While necromancy is typically associated with dark and villainous themes, D&D encourages players to develop complex necromancer characters who can command the undead. Whether you are a Dungeon Master crafting a sinister necromancer villain or a player designing a unique hero who harnesses the power of undead in battles, here’s a comprehensive guide to playing a necromancer in D&D.
How to Raise the Undead
Building a necromancer revolves around the core ability to raise the dead as zombies and skeletons. In 5th edition D&D, the most straightforward way to do this is through the Animate Dead spell.
This third-level spell is essential to any necromancer’s toolkit. With a casting time of one minute, Animate Dead can target a medium or small humanoid corpse or bones, transforming it into a zombie or skeleton, respectively. The caster can then issue telepathic commands to the undead as a bonus action.
There are a couple of critical points to keep in mind about Animate Dead. First, the spell lasts for twenty-four hours, giving you a reliable undead companion for a significant duration. Second, if you recast the spell on a zombie or skeleton you already control before the spell expires, you can reestablish control over it and extend its duration for another twenty-four hours. This means if you maintain control of your undead minions, you can have them around indefinitely.
Growing Your Undead Horde
An important aspect of Animate Dead is that it does not require concentration. This feature allows you to cast it multiple times throughout the day, increasing the number of undead under your command. Furthermore, if you use a spell slot above the third level, you can raise two additional creatures alongside your usual targets.
The result is that a well-prepared necromancer can create and control a substantial army of undead with relative ease.
Which Classes Can Be Necromancers
To effectively play a necromancer, you need to choose a class and subclass that can learn Animate Dead. The following options are available:
| Class | Subclass | Book |
|---|---|---|
| Wizard | All subclasses (Necromancy automatically gains at 6th) | Player’s Handbook |
| Cleric | All subclasses (Death Domain gains at 5th) | Player’s Handbook |
| Druid | Circle of Spores at 5th level | Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything |
| Paladin | Oathbreaker at 9th level | Dungeon Master’s Guide |
Among these, School of Necromancy Wizards can make the most out of Animate Dead. At 6th level, they can target an additional corpse, helping to raise more undead. Additionally, any undead they command gains extra hit points equal to the wizard’s level and adds their proficiency bonus to damage rolls, enhancing both offense and survivability.
Making the Most Out of Your Undead
Undead minions not only take actions during combat but they also provide significant utility outside of it. With Animate Dead, you can command multiple undead to attack, restrain enemies, or even help gather items or provide support to allies. This versatility greatly enhances the effectiveness of a necromancer, especially when managing a larger group of undead.
Necromancy Out of Combat
The roleplaying aspect of being a necromancer requires careful consideration, as animating the dead often comes with social taboos. NPC reactions to your undead followers could range from fear to outright hostility.
Deciding how the necromancer interacts with society—such as whether or not they hide their undead entourage or only raise foes they’ve slain—can help flesh out the character and their motivations.
The Best Spells for a Necromancer
While Animate Dead is the cornerstone spell for a necromancer, incorporating other necromancy spells enriches gameplay. Here are some spells that complement a necromancer’s abilities:
| Spell Name | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Toll The Dead | Cantrip | Deals 1d12 necrotic damage to creatures missing hit points, scaling with your level. |
| Mold Earth | Cantrip | Manipulates earth and stone, useful for terrain control. |
| Ray Of Enfeeblement | 2nd | Reduces damage from physical attackers, setting up stronger defenses for the party. |
| Summon Undead | 3rd | Calls an undead spirit with various stats; requires concentration. |
| Danse Macabre | 5th | Temporarily raises up to five corpses as undead minions, adding your spellcasting modifier to attacks. |
| Negative Energy Flood | 5th | Deals substantial damage and can raise killed enemies as zombies. |
| Create Undead | 6th | Upgrades Animate Dead to raise Ghouls, offering stronger undead options. |
| Finger Of Death | 7th | Massive damage spell that immediately raises any slain target as an undead companion. |
| Clone | 8th | Creates a backup body for the caster, enhancing survivability. |
In addition to these spells, consider including classic Wizard spells like Fireball or Counterspell for better support.
How to Build Your Necromancer
When crafting a necromancer character, clear choices can guide your decisions. Here’s a brief overview of what to consider:
Ability Scores:
Focus on raising Intelligence as your primary ability since it affects spellcasting. Constitution should also be a priority to maintain health, followed by Dexterity for better armor class.
Background:
A Sage background works best for a necromancer, offering boosts to Intelligence and Constitution, plus proficiency in Arcana and History, alongside the Magic Initiate feat for additional spell options. Other viable backgrounds include Merchant and Criminal, which also provide Intelligence boosts.
Species:
Almost any species can be a necromancer, but some excel due to unique benefits:
- Human: Access to two origin feats, amplifying growth.
- Elf: Gains extra spells like Detect Magic.
- Dwarf: Benefits from resilience traits.
- Gnome: Advantage on saving throws.
- Tiefling: Access to powerful spells while enhancing character aesthetics.
- Goliath: Offers unique options but isn’t stealthy.
- Dragonborn: Provides resistances but minimal direct benefits for spellcasting.
- Halfling: Limited benefits other than racial luck.
- Aasimar: Thematic but lacking substantial advantages.
- Orc: Some endurance benefits but limited synergy with spellcasting.
Feats:
Aim to maximize your Intelligence score early on. Start with:
- Inspiring Leader for temporary hit points boost.
- War Caster for concentration benefits.
- Resilience for improving Constitution saving throws.
With careful planning, your necromancer can become a formidable force of magic, commanding the dead while navigating the moral complexities of necromancy.
