2151 ® ¥DUNGEON MASTER® Rules Supplement Guide The Complete Book of Necromancers By Steve Kurtz ª Table of Contents Introduction Bodily Afflictions How to Use This Book Insanity and Madness Necromancy and the PC Unholy Compulsions What You Will Need Paid In Full Chapter 1: Necromancers Chapter 4: The Dark Art The Standard Necromancer Spell Selection for the Wizard Ability Scores Criminal or Black Necromancy Race Gray or Neutral Necromancy Experience Level Advancement Benign or White Necromancy Spells New Wizard Spells Spell Restrictions 1st-Level Spells Magic Item Restrictions 2nd-Level Spells Proficiencies 3rd-Level Spells New Necromancer Wizard Kits 4th-Level Spells Archetypal Necromancer 5th-Level Spells Anatomist 6th-Level Spells Deathslayer 7th-Level Spells Philosopher 8th-Level Spells Undead Master 9th-Level Spells Other Necromancer Kits Chapter 5: Death Priests Witch Necromantic Priesthoods Ghul Lord The God of the Dead New Nonweapon Proficiencies The Goddess of Murder Anatomy The God of Pestilence Necrology The God of Suffering Netherworld Knowledge The Lord of Undead Spirit Lore Other Priestly Resources Venom Handling Chapter 6: The Priest Sphere Chapter 2: Dark Gifts New Priest Spells Dual-Classed Characters 1st-Level Spells Fighter/Necromancer 2nd-Level Spells Thief / Necromancer 3rd-Level Spells Cleric/Necromancer 4th-Level Spells Psionicist/Necromancer 5th-Level Spells Wild Talents 6th-Level Spells Vile Pacts and Dark Gifts 7th-Level Spells Nonhuman Necromancers Chapter 7: Allies Humanoid Necromancers Apprentices Drow Necromancers Henchmen Draconic Necromancers Familiars Githyanki Necromancers Undying Minions Sorcerers Immortal Secret Societies Undead Necromancers and Death Priests The Cult of Worms Chapter 3: The Price The Scabrous Society The Social Stigma The Cult of Pain Punishments and Handicaps The Anatomical Academy Physical Deformity Chapter 8: Tools of the Trade Credits Poisons and Potions Design: Steve Kurtz Magic Items Editing: Matt Forbeck Necromantic Lore Black and White Illustrations: Karl Waller Chapter 9: The Campaign Color Illustrations: Brom, Jeff Easly, John & Laura Isle of the Necromancer Kings Lakey, and Robh Ruppel The Twin Villages of Misbahd and Jinutt Cartography: Diesel The Iron Spires of Ereshkigal Typography: Nancy Kerkstra The Colossus of Uruk PDF Conversion: Nitehawk Jarrett (n8h@wk) The Tower of Pizentios Capital of the Necromancer Kings Playtesting and Review: The First Plunderers of Sahu Uruk's Summer Palace (Karen “Herbal Bolus” Kurtz, Peter “Captain Omar” The Garden of Eternity Schimdt, Tamiko “Al-Ho” Toland, Marketa “the Lycan- Adventure Hooks thrope” Lillard, Jesse “Tracker” Sands), the Wyvern’s The Pirate Necromancers Claw Company (Josh “George!” Gerner, Christian “the Bhakau's Return Phantom” Tapia, Daniel “Reloader” Quaroni, Svetotzar The Scourge of Thasmudyan “Bowstring” Fung, and Abram “Godseyes” Connelly), Lich Hunting and Wolfgang “Necromancer King” Baur. Necrophiles Dr. Ellandra Tolbert Special Thanks: Many thanks to Karen Kurtz for her Kazerabet(Zaribel) kind help with layout and to Tamiko Toland for thrash- Master Pizentios ing through the first draft of the manuscript on such short Sarzec the Broken notice. Kazerabet and I would also like to thank the fol- Talib the Magnificent lowing authors and designers, who have contributed Vermissa the Undying much to the existing body of necromantic lore, in the Mistress Yola form of spells, magical items, and proficiency ideas: Appendix 1: Common Spells Wolfgang Baur, Jon Winter, Jon Pickens, Gary Gygax, for Necromancers Ed Friedlander, Vince Garcia, Ed Greenwood, Nigel Appendix 2: Wizard Spells In the School of Necromancy Findley, Jeff Grubb, Bruce Kvam, Jeffrey Pettengill, Rich Appendix 3: Priest Spells In the Stump, Gary Watkins. Necromantic Sphere Appendix 4: Master Index of Necromantic Priest and Wizard Spells List of Tables 1: Pregenerated Ability Scores for Necromancers 2: Extended Necromancer Advancement Spells, and Level Improvements 3: Wild Psionic Devotions for Necromancers 4: Wild Psionic Sciences for Necromancers 5: Special Powers for Necromancers 6: Psionic Progression for Githyanki Necromancers 7: Assorted Physical Deformities 8: Disease Check Modifiers 9: Unholy Compulsions and Curses 10: Forbidden Spells of Black Necromancy 11: Spirit Summoning Modifiers 12: Extended Death Priest Advancement, Spells, and Level Improvements Introduction The ruins of Ysawis were cloaked by the jungle when I rediscovered the broken city walls with my first husband, Sumulael. That was in the early years of our marriage, when my devotion to the Forbidden Arts ran strong with the careless impetuousness of youth. We had been led to the city by disgruntled spirits, in search of a legendary talisman. Even with our ghostly guides, the ruins of the vine-choked city were extensive, and the exact location of our prize eluded us. At first, when my husband and I beheld the bones of the city's former citizens, we amused ourselves by raising the moldering remains to attend us as ghastly servants, skeletal porters, and shadowy messengers. When the quest for the talisman yielded nothing immediately, we animated more of the city's dead to expand the search. Before long, our new slaves uncovered royal cemeteries where the kings and queens of Ysawis had been buried for centuries before the city's disastrous end. I remember quite vividly my delight at this discovery. With a wave of my hand, I cracked open the tombs' monolithic stone doors, while Sumulael, cackling with wicked glee, called forth the city's ancient royalty, commanding even the oldest of padishahs to stumble forth, wrapped in their worm-eaten shrouds or burial robes, from the corrupted depths of the crypts and into our eternal slavery. And while the dead gave up their age-corrupted treasures, none carried my coveted talisman. Thus Sumulael and I raised up the inhabitants of Ysawis from their crypts and tombs to serve us. We lived there like exiled royalty for many years, until my husband's insanity and revolting habits grew intolerable. I ended up killing the monster, eventually, with the help of adventurers who had discovered my secluded city in the wilder- ness. That is how I met my second husband, Talib. He was one of the explorers who assisted me in destroying Sumulael and helped me find my long-sought talisman. I soon came to love Talib, after a fashion. I taught him all of my hidden secrets. We were happy together in Ysawis, rebuilding the city to its former glory. But in the end, that marriage also failed, for 1 found that you cannot practice the Art when you are happy, nor advance in its study if you are content. So I left behind my beloved, to write this book in solitude and focus my mind on the difficult road ahead. Come join me on this path of knowledge and self-discovery. Let us explore the Art of Necromancy together. —Foreword to Kazerabet's Art of Necromancy Death is the final arbiter. It claims everyone, regardless of class or station, fame or notoriety, gentleness or depravity. In some cultures, death is regarded as the threshold to an elevated spiritual existence or as the doorway leading to another mortal life in a never-ending cycle of reincarnations In other societies, death is believed to be the ultimate ending of awareness, marking complete annihilation and utter oblivion. Since ancient times, scholars and priests have devoted their entire lives to studying, explaining, and rever- ing the final chapter in human life. For some individuals, however, death has become an obsession, a source of magical power, or even an object of religious adoration. These beings are necromancers, and they are universally feared and loathed as the purveyors of unremitting evil. According to popular myth, the necromancer practices vile and forbidden arts. He is the macabre sorcerer who roots about in graveyards, searching out moldering components for his obscene spells. She is the evil priest- ess who calls upon restless, tormented spirits of the long-deceased, seeking their immortal arcana. In their dark and secluded lairs, the mute undead, the monstrous familiar, and the ravening fiend serve the necromancers in their ghoulish endeavors. In the literature of fantasy and horror, the necromancer is usually portrayed as the consum- mate villain. Yet there is another side to the necromancer and the death priest. Consider the compassionate ghosthunter who lays tormented undead to rest, or the dutiful priest of the Dead who helps guide spirits on their eternal voyage to the netherworld. Necromancers can also have a constructive and positive role in the campaign. This book is devoted to exploring both aspects of necromancers and death priests. We explore their varied roles as not only villains, but also as healers, mentors, and patrons. These spellcasters are among the most com- plex, versatile, and powerful characters available in the ADVANCED DUNGEONS& DRAGONS® game. This tome reveals all of their secrets and powers so that you - as the Dungeon Master (DM)—can bring these master wizards and priests to life for the players under your care. How to Use this Book The Complete Book of Necromancers has been designed for DMs who wish to create complex and memo- rable spellcasting foes for their unique campaigns. The book is divided into three main sections, each of which the DM may read separately, in any order. The chapters within each individual section should be taken in sequence. They contain introductory material (such as Kazerabet's foreword) which may be read to players, serve as inspira- tion for adventure hooks, or used in any other way which helps add a further dimension of realism to the campaign. The first four chapters are devoted to the necromancer nonplayer character (NPC). Chapter One discusses the rules for creating a basic wizard necromancer as a separate and independent sub-class, starting from the basics outlined in the Player's Handbook. It explores five new kits—the Archetype, Anatomist, Deathslayer, Philosopher, and Undead Master—each with a different role for the campaign.Chapter Two extends the powers of a necroman- cer by adding dual classes, psionic Wild Talents, and special powers from the patronage of dark gods.