The Creed of the Departed

Though it is much more than just that, one phenomenon is most often associated with necromancy by the common folk: raising the dead. This field is exactly what the Creed of the Departed focuses on. Whether one undead Ogre or a horde of skeletons, those who join the ranks of this creed rely on the assistance of the lifeless to accomplish their goals. Necromancers within this Creed focus on improving their Undead Minions above all else. Since they usually pour some of their own lifeforce into the undead they create, they tend to be more frail and defenseless than other types of casters, relying instead on their creations to safeguard them.  

Undead Minion

Starting at 2nd level, if you have at least one Necromancer hit die remaining, you can use an action to touch the corpse of any dead creature that is of one of the following types: aberration, beast, humanoid, monstrosity, plant, or undead. The creature can be no bigger than ‘medium’ size, and its CR can be no higher than your Necromancer level. When doing so, you will attempt to raise it as an an Undead Minion. You expend a Necromancer hit die (roll and add your constitution modifier): the creature’s current and maximum health becomes equal to the result plus twice your Necromancer level. Though the creature retains the proficiencies and any passive traits it had in life, it now counts as Undead and gains immunity to poison damage. Additionally, a newly created minion also takes the following penalties:

• It loses 4 points in each ability score (to a minimum of 1)

• It cannot cast spells, or use abilities that summon other creatures

• It loses any multi-attack ability it may have had

• If it had abilities with a limited amount of uses per day, each of these abilities can only be used once per day.

• It loses 10 feet of its walk, swim, and climbing speed (to a minimum of 5 feet).

• If the creature possesses a flying speed, it is halved, and cannot be used to ascend more than 5 feet off the ground

While the Undead Minion is within a 1 mile distance of you, you can telepathically give it orders that it will follow to the best of its ability. At will, you can command any Undead Minion under your control to return to you, even if it is further than 1 mile away from you. In combat, an Undead Minion takes turns on its own initiative, during which you can control it. It regards you and those not hostile to you as allies. You only control the physical body of an Undead Minion: it retains the memory, personality and consciousness it had in life, but is forced to act as you command it to. While it can talk to you in a hostile manner, taunt you, and even lie to you, it is unable to thwart your plans directly by performing actions such as giving away your position to nearby enemies, revealing you to be a Necromancer to others, or leading you into a trap the Undead Minion itself is aware exists. An Undead Minion that drops to 0 hit points instantly crumbles into dust. Otherwise, it lasts until the end of your next long rest, after which it also crumbles into dust. You cannot control more than one Undead Minion at a time: attempting to raise a second Undead Minion while already controlling one will cause the first one to crumble into dust. Additionally, at any moment, you can willingly decide to destroy your Undead Minion. Finally, whenever you transfer hit points to an Undead Minion using the Vitality Shift feature, the amount of hit points the Undead Minion receives is doubled. If a target corpse cannot be raised (due to effects such as the Gentle Repose spell), the hit die is lost and the ability fails, though you are made aware of the fact that the corpse cannot be raised. You may use this ability to revive beings that have been dead for an unlimited amount of time, but at the DM's discretion, additional restrictions may be imposed on the resulting Undead Minion if your target has been dead for longer than a week.  

Conduit Walkers

Also starting at 2nd level, whenever you cast a spell with the range of touch, your Undead Minion can deliver the spell as if it had cast it. Your Undead Minion must be within 100 feet of you and within 5 feet of your target, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If your Undead Minion is not within 5 feet of your target, it may use its movement to get in range as part of the same reaction, though it may provoke attacks of opportunity while doing so. If the spell requires an attack roll, the Undead Minion uses one of its melee attack actions for the roll.  

Shepherd’s Resolve

At 6th level, you improve your abilities to maintain your Undead Minions in a more solid condition. As such, when determining an Undead Minion’s hit points upon raising it, you now expend two Necromancer hit dice, instead of one, adding both results to the Minion's health pool. However, you are no longer able to raise an Undead Minion if you only have one hit die remaining. Additionally, your Undead Minions no longer take the 10 feet land, swim and climbing speed penalty.  

Animator Style

At 10th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:  

Adept Awakener

Undead Minions raised by you may now make up to two attacks per turn, provided that the original creature had the ‘multiattack’ property. Additionally, your Undead Minions no longer take a penalty to their ability scores when you raise them. Finally, when determining an Undead Minion's hit points upon raising it, you may now choose to expend three hit dice instead of two.  

Giant Rouser

You are now able to create Undead Minions out of corpses of large and huge-sized creatures, as well as out of creatures of the celestial, dragon, fey, fiend and giant types. Additionally, the maximum CR of creatures you can raise becomes equal to your Necromancer level plus your wisdom modifer. Finally, your Undead Minions can now ascend and descend freely while flying, though their original flight speed is still halved.  

Undead Magnate

You can now control a number of Undead Minions equal to your proficiency bonus before newer ones cause older ones to collapse, but you no longer add twice your Necromancer level to the result of the expended hit dice when determining a Undead Minion's hit points upon raising it. Additionally, your Undead Minions no longer crumble to dust after a long rest. The Conduit Walkers feature may be used to deliver touch spells through of any one of your Undead Minions.  

Life Painter

At 14th level, you become so adept at raising undead that you gain a certain amount of control over how they appear. When raising an Undead Minion or when casting the Animate Dead or Create Undead spells, you are able to dictate the looks of the creatures you create as if they were casting a Disguise Self spell on themselves. When a creature is disguised in this way, the changes made are permanent rather than being bound to a one hour duration.  

Legendary Animator

At 20th level, you may pick an additional Animator Style from the ‘Animator Style’ archetype feature.

The Creed of the Siphon

If manipulating the essence of life is a skill, the Creed of the Siphon has turned it into an art form. Necromancers who veer in this direction spend most of their time practicing and honing their life-altering techniques, to a point where they gain an uncanny control over both their own health, and that of their enemies - or allies, if they so desire. Some continue to practice this skill through spells and prefer to fight from a distance, while others pick up a weapon and channel their siphoning skills in physical combat.  

Sycophant

At 2nd level, you have obtained a greater control over the life essence all necromancers manipulate, allowing you to steal it from others and imbue yourself with it. Whenever you deal necrotic damage, you automatically regain hit points equal to one third of the necrotic damage dealt, rounded down. Additionally, you gain proficiency in medium armor, shields, and three weapons of your choice.  

Learned Siphoner

At 6th level, whenever you deal damage with a weapon attack or any necromancer spell, you can choose to change the damage dealt to be of the necrotic type. Additionally, you gain one of the following features of your choice:  

Essence Weaver

Whenever you cast a spell of 5th level or lower that causes one or more creatures to regain hit points, you may choose to make the spell target one additional creature that you can see within 60 feet, which must make a constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The target takes necrotic damage instead of regaining hit points on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.  

Vigor Thief

While wielding a weapon, you can use an action to target up to four creatures within 60 feet that you can see. These targets must each make a constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. You deal necrotic damage equal to three times your necromancer level, spread out equally among all targets that fail their save. If all targets succeed on their saving throw, no damage is dealt. You can choose not to regain hit points from this damage through the sycophant trait. If you do so, you store the lifeforce stolen in your weapon instead: the next time you use your Vitality Shift feature before the end of your next long rest, whichever target gains hit points also receives additional hit points equal to the damage that was just dealt. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.  

Ascetic Dominion

At 10th level, your mastery over life-essence allows you to bring back even the recently deceased. You may use the Vitality Shift feature to grant hit points to a target that has died within the past 24 hours to bring them back to life. Whenever you do so, your target suffers from a level of exhaustion (as described in PHB appendix A).  

Mental Sap

At 14th level, you can spend a minute focusing on a target you can see within 30 feet in order to induce mental fatigue. If you manage to do so without interruption, that target has disadvantage on the first saving throw it makes within the next minute. At the DM's discretion, the target may realize its mental state has been magically altered, but it does not know you were the cause of the change. Additionally, targets affected by your Essence Weaver or Vigor Thief abilities who fail the saving throw become frightened of you until the end of their next turn.  

Everlasting

At 20th level, whenever you fall unconscious, you no longer lose your senses, instead experiencing the world around you as a life-like dream. Whenever you would make a death saving throw, you can instead choose to sap energy from your surroundings, causing you to wake up and deal 1d4 necrotic damage to all non-construct, non-undead creatures within 10 feet of you, gaining hit points equal to the damage dealt. If no creatures are within 10 feet of you, you still wake up, but only gain 1 hit point. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

The Creed of Tomes

Though necromancy is an innate skill and not a learned one, the techniques with which the skill is applied can be improved through the learning of theoretical substance. This is the tenet that those of the Creed of Tomes take to heart. Rather than perfecting their practical ability to manipulate life essence, they would study the art of spellcasting and use those techniques to reinforce their natural abilities. As such, these types of necromancers tend to be the most learned ones, having the widest array of spells available to them and uncovering secret ancient techniques that few are aware of.  

Initiate of the Tome

At 2nd level, you become an initiate in the Creed of Tomes and obtain a necromantic tome. As long as this tome is on your person, you gain the following benefits:

• You may cast the Prestidigitation cantrip as if you have it known, without it counting towards your cantrips known.

• You may cast the Mage Armor spell as if you have it known, without it counting towards your spells known.

• Whenever you cast a necromancer spell of at most 5th level, you may use your bonus action to make it a refined spell. Whenever you do so, add your intelligence modifier to any attack rolls made as part of the spell, and to the DC of any saving throw prompted by it. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

• You may use the tome as a spellcasting focus for your necromancer spells

Should your necromantic tome be lost or destroyed, you are able to create a new one. This process costs 20 gp and 2 hours of time for each necromancer level you possess.  

Arcane Shift

Also starting at 2nd level, when using the Vitality Shift feature on a target who has the Spellcasting feature, you may choose to exchange one used spell slot of 5th level or lower for an unspent one of equal level instead of transferring hit points between you and your target. Similarly to hit points, this exchange can go in either direction, and neither you nor your target can obtain more spell slots than listed in your respective class tables.  

Augur’s Acumen

At 3rd level, you unlock the Augur’s Acumen perks detailed at the end of the class description, and gain one of these immediately. When you gain certain necromancer levels, you gain additional Acumens of your choice, as shown in the ‘Acumens Known’ column of the necromancer table. Once obtained, you permanently gain the benefits of an Acumen.  

Evercasting

At 20th level, you have learned how to morph life essence into magical energy when dealing a killing blow through magic. Whenever you use a spell to kill any number of creatures with a combined CR of 15 or higher, you regain one spell slot of any level up to 5.  

AUGUR'S ACUMEN PERKS

If an Augur’s Acumen has prerequisites, you must meet them to acquire it. You can learn the Acumen at the same time that you meet its prerequisites.  

Black Ice

You learn the Armor of Agathys spell, without it counting against your spells known. Additionally, whenever a creature takes damage from your Armor of Agathys spell, add your wisdom modifier to the damage the creature takes. A creature damaged this way cannot take any reactions until the start of its next turn.  

Channeler

You learn how to be constantly aware of traces of life energy surrounding you. While you are conscious, you are always aware of any non-construct close to you, out to a radius of 10 feet. This includes creatures on the ethereal plane.  

Dark Aegis

Prerequisite: 14th level   You can cast Dispel Evil and Good at will, without expending a spell slot. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.  

Fervor of the Lost

Prerequisite: 6th level   Your studies have taught you about some simple rituals to brace your own life force. Whenever you roll a hit die, you can choose to roll it again. If you do, you must use the second result.  

Galerider

Prerequisite: 14th level   Through long hours of study, you have managed to master the ancient art of passive magical floating. Rather than walking, you gain the ability to glide one foot above the ground, allowing you to pass over difficult terrain that does not rise above that height without taking a movement penalty, and allowing you to move over liquid surfaces as if they were solid ground. Additionally, while floating, you do not trigger any non-magical traps activated by floor-based mechanisms such as pressure plates. Otherwise, you move normally, as if you were walking. You can choose to activate or deactivate this ability at will, though it will disable immediately if no solid ground is within 1 foot beneath you. You cannot prevent fall damage through floating.  

Intuitive Anatomy

As an action, you can examine a creature that isn’t a construct or elemental, or the corpse of any such creature. Whenever you do so, you learn the type of the creature you examined (aberration, fey, celestial, beast, etc.). Additionally, you make a Wisdom (Medicine) check, for which the DC is equal to 8 + the creature's CR, rounded up. On a success, you also learn the creature's current and maximum hit points.  

Mark of Death

Prerequisite: 14th level   As an action, you can select a creature you can see and attempt to mark them for the grim reaper himself to collect. The target has to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. If it fails, for the next minute, it has disadvantage on all saving throws. On a success, the target is unaffected. You have to concentrate on maintaining this mark as if it were a spell, and once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.  

Numbing Caress

Prerequisite: Chill Touch cantrip   Whenever you cast the Chill Touch cantrip, you may now use d10 for your damage dice, rather than d8. For example, casting this spell as a 5th level necromancer will cause 2d10 damage on a hit, rather than 2d8.  

Religious Familiarity

Prerequisite: 10th level   Your studies of death have made you a learned man when it comes to religion and religious views on the afterlife. You learn the basic tenets of all but the most obscure sects, as well as the symbolism and rites they use and adhere to, and their general spheres of influence. As such, you have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made trying to pass yourself off as an acolyte of any religion, and you have advantage on any Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Investigation) checks made trying to uncover with which religion a creature or location is aligned.  

Seance

Prerequisite: 6th level   You learn how to contact the spirits around you. During a short or long rest you can perform a brief ritual. When doing so, you become aware of all intelligent beings that have died within the last 100 years within a 1 mile radius around your position, and you learn the general causes of their death (‘a fight’, ‘famine’, ‘a fire’, 'natural', etc). This causes you to gain advantage on Intelligence (History) checks regarding events that happened within this area in the past 100 years for as long as you remain within the 1 mile radius. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, and you can’t hold a Seance within the same area again for 7 days.  

Shadowstep

Prerequisite: 10th level   You learn the Misty Step spell, without it counting against your spells known.  

Soulscrying

Prerequisite: 10th level   As an action, you can open your mind to all souls within a 1 mile radius around you. Whenever you do so, you instantly become aware of all living creatures within this range, allowing you to gauge exactly how many creatures are near you, and where they are at the moment of the sensing. You can tell the difference between creatures of different sizes, but are unable to differentiate between the souls you sense in any other way. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Spectral Manipulation

Prerequisite: Sword Burst cantrip   When you cast Sword Burst, its range is 20 feet, and friendly targets automatically succeed on the saving throw.  

Spirit Sight

Prerequisite: 6th level   You can instantly cast Clairvoyance at will, without expending a spell slot or requiring casting time. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.  

Twinned Fate

Prerequisite: 10th level   You can use an action to attempt to bind your fate to that of any creature you can see within 60 feet. The target has to succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or become bound to you for 1 minute - willing targets can choose to fail on purpose. While you are bound, whenever either you or your target has to make a saving throw, the other also makes the same saving throw, using their own saving throw bonuses. If one of you succeeds on their saving throw, you can then choose to also automatically make the other succeed. Likewise, if one of you fails, you can choose to also automatically make the other fail, subjecting both targets to the effects of the phenomenon that prompted the saving throw. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.  

Vice of the Lifeless

Prerequisite: 6th level   Using ancient books as your guide, you have perfected the art of communicating with the deceased. You learn the Speak with Dead spell without without it counting against your known spells. Additionally, you are able to cast the spell on targets that no longer have a mouth, causing you to hear their voice in your head instead. Whenever you use the spell, the target is forced to answer each of your questions and they cannot lie when doing so, though they can still be brief, repetitive or cryptic.