What are some good Necromancy feats?
As a Necromancer would you do the whole undead thing or save or die thing?
What’s the best undead to use?
I’ve always heard Necromancy was one of the weaker types of specialist, is this true in your experience?
What schools would you choose to ban?
Thanks
Fizz
As a Necromancer would you do the whole undead thing or save or die thing?What schools would you choose to ban?
One can be both an undead master and a save-or-die specialist but it is very hard to powergame both. As for feats:
-Spell Focus
-Greater Spell Focus
-Split Ray (If you use rays alot)
-Improved Initiative (If you have a feat to spare, going first is always nice)
-Quicken Spell (Always get this)
There several undead-focused feats in libris mortis, take at least the first in the tree if you want to play with undead.
As for what undead? The general rule is to spam skeletons but I generally keep one or two zombies around me to absorb damage and look menacing at my enemies.
Owner - Johnny Scott Comics and Games
|
You could also do a multi-class Cleric/Wizard, and select Rebuke Undead rather than Turn. This opens up a lot of turning feats (not to mention the Clerical Domains that you could then have access to) to help you with undead you may not have created but may encounter.
I just finished up playing a good necromancer that hates undead. It turned out exceptionally well. Concept: drop and opponent's ability scores and prevent the opponent from fighting. Necro is particularly effective at doing this. You will need the Spell Compendium for this as they greatly expand what a Necromancer can do.
Forbidden schools:
Evo: leave the damage to the fighters.
Transmute: the cleric can do most of the buff spells; leave them to him.
Feats:
Spell Focus(necro)/Greater SF Just about everything you do has a save.
Spell Penetration Just about everything you do is suseptable to SR.
Reach Feat Touch spells at range, use your dex to attack instead of STR.
Improved Init Obvious.
Weapon Focus (ray) Get a +1 to your reach feat attacks.
I'll have to do key spells tonight.
(And I'm still working on the evil elven god, I've just been busy.)
I think wizards do the negative-energy manipulation better than they do the undead master. They have a wider selection of abilities in the former area than the cleric, and fewer in the latter than the cleric (or rather, they get the same abilities but often later, and clerics have rebuking).
That said, I think that necromancers are very powerful. NPCs and PC alike hate getting hit with a ray of enfeeblement. Fear effects are extremely potent. Blindness/deafness and false life a great respective debuffs and buffs. Bestow curse is always fun (particularly if you select the version which stuns the target 50% of the time), and several enervation spells gets scary in a hurry. Magic jar allows for some awesome tricks and contingencies; invading a troll's body is well known as a way to make the frail wizard nearly invincible. Save-or-die spells are also extremely nice, in that "My Gods I hate you" kind of way. Let's not forget clone and horrid wilting, either. Don't want a BBEG to come back (always a problem at higher levels)? Soul bind. Think enervation was bad? Energy drain.
That's all PHB, too. Necromancers just get scarier with supplements. I definitely wouldn't count it as a weak specialization.
I definitely wouldn't count it as a weak specialization.
Definite agree.
Recommended spells (Spell Compendium, all of them) (Note: not all are necro spells, but work along the theme):
Orb of Force - Does full damage to incorporial creatures, which the fighter is not very useful against. Also, bypasses SR.
Ray of Sickness/Ray of Weakness
Greater Disrupt Undead - 1d8/level to undead
Unluck - makes target reroll all rolls and use lesser.
Curse of Impending Blades -2 to AC, no save
Assay Spell Resistance Can't stress this one enough. +10 to beating SR, lasts long time
Spirit Wall Had alot of fun trapping people inside this.
Wrack - Evil spell, touch spell (reach feat), fireball quantity damage and con damage.
Thanks for all the help!! What schools would you choose to ban? Enchament and Evocation see likely choices but I've been eyeing Transmutation.
Fizz
Thanks for all the help!! What schools would you choose to ban? Enchament and Evocation see likely choices but I've been eyeing Transmutation.
Fizz
I'd highly recommend dumping Evo, but I have a personal bias against evocation. Enchantment has a number of "keep the person from attacking until the fighter can handle him" spells. I'd recommend keeping it. Not to mention there's Touch of Idiocy (great with Reach feat), which can make ANY spellcaster cry *evil laughter*. Transmutation, well there are some really good non-buff spells (baneful polymorph, ray of clumsiness- which drops dex -> which makes AC lower). I'd really say it should depend on the group makeup and your own personal preference.
Put it to you like this: If you want a challenge and want to play something that is different then what most typically play, ban Evocation and Transmutation. Its odd to see just how many spells most people rely on are in these two schools. You really notice when they're banned. It also allows for much more creative thinking.
Thanks for all the help DMcCoy; it has been really helpful. Also thanks for looking in to that evil elven god. It's acutally for this necro. I figured you caught that. I wanted an elf that would toe the evil side (he might not be evil just close to it) without being a drow.
Fizz
Thanks for all the help DMcCoy; it has been really helpful. Also thanks for looking in to that evil elven god. It's acutally for this necro. I figured you caught that. I wanted an elf that would toe the evil side (he might not be evil just close to it) without being a drow.
Fizz
Note to self: Get back to writing so I can finish those two gods.
Reach Feat Touch spells at range, use your dex to attack instead of STR.
Which book is the Reach feat in?
Fizz
Reach Feat Touch spells at range, use your dex to attack instead of STR.
Which book is the Reach feat in?
Fizz
Complete Divine, I believe. Its a metamagic feat so wizards can use it too.
There are many options in Libris Mortis for Necromancy focused arcane and divine spellcasters. Some nice options for undead, too.
I just got Eldritch Sorcery (Necromancer Games) today. It has some NICE necromancy spells in there.
|
Reach Feat Touch spells at range, use your dex to attack instead of STR.
Which book is the Reach feat in?
Fizz
Complete Divine, I believe. Its a metamagic feat so wizards can use it too.
Do you mean the metamagic feat called "reach spell"? it turns touch spells into 30 ft. rays instead? it's in Complete Divine p.84.
-DM Jeff
Undead of choice? From just the MM1, the call is easy: Any Hydra Skeleton.
|
|
Undead of choice? From just the MM1, the call is easy: Any Hydra Skeleton.
After that, any Dragon Skeleton, using the Draconomicon rules.
Or a Bone or Corpse Creature (with Hydra and Dragon being in the top slots), from the Book of Vile Darkness.
Outsiders have high stats for comparitively low HD, giving them more 'bang for your buck.' Planar Ally to Call 'em up and then say, "Ha ha, just kidding, DIE!" instead of bartering for service.
Do you mean the metamagic feat called "reach spell"?
Oops, yea. *kobold blushes*
Reach Spell [Metamagic]
Benefit: You may cast a spell that normally has a range of touch at any distance up to 30 feet. The spell effectively becomes a ray, so you must succeed at a ranged touch attack to bestow the spell upon the recipient. A reach spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level.
I've been a fan of "Fell Drain" (from Libris Mortis) for a while now. Nothing screws you over like level draining magic missle, over and over again!
|
As a necromancer, one of the best feats to have is Tomb Tainted Soul. It lets you heal with negative energy, the same as the undead you raise. If you have an evil cleric in the party, he can cast Inflict spells to heal you. Other than that, Corpsecrafter and some of its follow up feats are good.
All of these are in Libris Mortis.
|
As a Necromancer would you do the whole undead thing or save or die thing?What schools would you choose to ban?
One can be both an undead master and a save-or-die specialist but it is very hard to powergame both. As for feats:
-Spell Focus
-Greater Spell Focus
-Split Ray (If you use rays alot)
-Improved Initiative (If you have a feat to spare, going first is always nice)
-Quicken Spell (Always get this)There several undead-focused feats in libris mortis, take at least the first in the tree if you want to play with undead.
As for what undead? The general rule is to spam skeletons but I generally keep one or two zombies around me to absorb damage and look menacing at my enemies.
Those are all excellent ideas and good advise I would also include the undead master feat from the ultimate magic and skeleton summoner as well there awesome feats for a necromancer.
|
|
Thanks for all the help!! What schools would you choose to ban? Enchament and Evocation see likely choices but I've been eyeing Transmutation.
Fizz
I'd highly recommend dumping Evo, but I have a personal bias against evocation. Enchantment has a number of "keep the person from attacking until the fighter can handle him" spells. I'd recommend keeping it. Not to mention there's Touch of Idiocy (great with Reach feat), which can make ANY spellcaster cry *evil laughter*. Transmutation, well there are some really good non-buff spells (baneful polymorph, ray of clumsiness- which drops dex -> which makes AC lower). I'd really say it should depend on the group makeup and your own personal preference.
Put it to you like this: If you want a challenge and want to play something that is different then what most typically play, ban Evocation and Transmutation. Its odd to see just how many spells most people rely on are in these two schools. You really notice when they're banned. It also allows for much more creative thinking.
Hey man some really good advise although I would probably not ban evoc. I know its posterboy sounding and i know necromancers aren't "blasters" but even a Necromancer can understand the importance of a well placed fireball sometimes. I would ditch illusion instead and I would as well ban trans. Those were the old traditional ADnD rules and its fun to go back to the roots of the game sometimes. But I like your style. Another good book other than Libris mortis is a book called " The secret college of necromancy" hear of it? Its an awesome book filled with Feats spells skills items ect... check it out