I am thinking of building a high level necromancer as a major villan in Varisia using the brilliant 3e Secret College of Necromancy material. To cut a long backstory short I was thinking of her being one of several House of Thrune ladies planted into potential positions of influence outside Cheliax by the House of Thrune to corrupt and influence. A sort of 'foreign policy' experiment. However, I also want to make her a necromancer. Are Asmodeus worship and necromancy mutually exclusive? Is there anything jarring about combining the two? Grateful for advice/thoughts.
Other than that they're both generally evil, not really.
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Asmodeus is a patron of magic, slavery and contracts, so it might be on-theme for some of his followers to bind people to contracts forcing them to serve even beyond death, shackling their spirits and subjecting them to lengths of service measured in centuries.
Conjuration seems the most popular Asmodean school, but all eight are represented in the grand Academae in Korvosa, so it doesn't appear that any of them are shunned, and few of the evil faiths seem to have any moral issue with necromancy or the undead (or with much of anything else, for that matter!).
As LazarX said above, there's no synergy. However, there's not necessarily any big conflict, either. To a large extent it would depend on what style of necromancy your villain practices. A necromancer that specializes in undead mastery and also follows Asmodeus would be far more likely to have incorporeal servitors used mostly as spies than to have a bunch of shambling followers with pieces rotting off following her around.
Spells like Interrogation, Steal Voice, Eldritch Ague, Marionette Possession (great spell for a villain with minions), Bestow Curse, Enervation, Fear, Shadow Projection, Magic Jar, Major Curse, and Astral Projection could all work well with a follower of Asmodeus.
That said, no wizardly follower of the lord of Hell should give up enchantment or conjuration as barred schools. They are just too central to the concept.
Thanks all and thanks for the spell suggestions Zog. Yes perhaps its more about the type of necromancy so its use reflects the contract/binding nature of her patron. Maybe presents an opportunity to do something different and create a more unique villan than the classic corporeal shambling undead stuff. food for thought..