Editing Kit (section)

====[[Necromancer]]====
The [[Necromancer]] is such a strongly iconic form of [[wizard]]ry that it got its own handbook for 2e, and with it came a selection of specialized necromancer kits.

* Archetypal Necromancer - This is your iconic evil necromancer, the degenerate wizard who masters the black arts for the sake of perversion and destruction. Naturally, it requires any Evil [[alignment]], it has a slightly elevated affinity for weapons, and it taps into the otherwise optional rules about Dark Blessings (unique special powers like mundane weapon immunity, regeneration, shadow form, etc) and Fell Prices (curses, deformities, madness and incurable diseases) from the same handbook, gaining 1d3 Dark Blessings and at least as many Fell Prices.

* Anatomist - This kind of necromancer dabbles in the dark arts more for the opportunities it offers for understanding how the human body works. An anatomist is more lethal in melee with cutting implements, gaining free Specialization (Dagger) and the ability to wield cutlasses and shortswords. They are much more effective at surgery, which translates to increased proficiency with the Healing skill, and can use the unique Autopsy skill to examine bodies for information. As a drawback, they have to do at least one dissection of a humanoid corpse a month or lose their special surgical skills until they catch up on their practice.

* Deathslayer - Believing heavily in the adage "know thy enemy", the deathslayer is a [[gish|warrior-wizard]] who studies necromancy solely for increased aptitude in killing the undead. Consequently, they need Strength 13 in addition to Intelligence 9 and Wisdom 16 to qualify for the kit, and have special traits that make them much more powerful against a specific kind of "higher" undead (ghost, vampire, spectre, mummy, lich or banshee). The drawback is that their compulsion to kill the undead is so strong it functions as an irreversible geas effect. This kit has some interesting potential if dual-classed from a [[Fighter]] or even an [[Avenger]].

* Philosopher - The philosopher doesn't give a damn about the moral implications of necromancy and other black arts; their all-consuming hunger is to learn, study and understand dark magic, making them a theoretician of the occult and skilled, if unnerving, sages in the fields of dark lore. Consequently, philosopher-necromancers have a minimum Int requirement of 14 instead of 9, and must be a neutral and non-good (so [[Neutral Evil]] or L/T/C Neutral) alignment. Their advanced knowledge makes them potentially capable of instantly knowing anything relating to the topics of necromancy, necromantic items and [[Lower Planes|the netherworlds]], advanced proficiency at learning necromantic skills, and an increased likelihood of having [[Psionics|psionic wild talents]]. The drawback? Increased likelihood of being insane and a high penalty to learning any non-necromancy spells.

* Undead Master - The other sort of archetypal necromancer, this is a black mage whose obsession is with mastery and control, driving them to enslave the dead, the damned and the living for the sake of their own glory and ego. Restricted to the Neutral and Evil alignments, Undead Masters have access to the Enchantment school of spells (normally forbidden to necromancers) and can command and bind undead, fiends and extraplanar creatures as if they were clerics. The downside is that they're much less adept at defending themselves (restricted to proficiency in only ''one'' wizard weapon) and their proficiency with Necromancy, Conjuration and Enchantment prevents them from using the Alteration (what 3e calls Transmutation), Illusion and Divination schools of spellcraft.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Classes]] [[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Mechanics]]