Proficiencies
Necros’s are proficient with simple weapons, as well as light armor and bucklers. In addition, if this is this character’s first level in any class, they may select a martial tradition of their choice.
For a necros, their role on the battlefield is tied to their control of the undead. Master of undeath, necros not only summon deathly servants, but also alter them in new and terrifying ways. Shaping the flesh and bone of the undead to fit their whims, necros control the field of combat with a variety of their own custom creations as well as their corpse puppet. A triumph of their research, a necros controls their corpse puppet with incredible finesse, leaving destruction and terror in their wake.
Wherever a necros travels, death follows. Creators of undead, necros consider themselves artisans using the most pure canvas they know; flesh. Admiring the unique features of skin and bone, necros focus their talents around the power of death, avid admirers of the power of unlife. Some consider necros in love with death, to which most necros would begrudgingly agree. The path of power for most necros often leads its practitioners into the gaping jaws of undeath, and master necros often end their journey as mighty liches. Serving as both puppet masters and warriors in their own right, necros can hold their own in combat, but their talents are better served ganging up on opponents with a swarm of undead, attacking as a part of their horde.
Level-by-level Base Attack Bonus, Saving Throws, Special Abilities, and Talents
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Reflex Save | Will Save | Special | Combat & Magic Talents | Caster Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Casting, blended training, channel energy, corpse puppet, deathbound, spell pool | 1 (+2 magic) | +0 (1) |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Rebuke undead, undead affinity | 2 | +1 |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Fleshcraft | 3 | +2 |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Decaying form, preserve flesh | 4 | +3 |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Darkvision, flesh bond | 5 | +3 |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Necrotic shield | 6 | +4 |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Advanced fleshcraft, fleshcraft | 7 | +5 |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Decaying form, fear aura | 8 | +6 |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Undead rebirth | 9 | +6 |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Multicrafting | 10 | +7 |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Fleshcraft, greater flesh bond | 11 | +8 |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Decaying form, see in darkness | 12 | +9 |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Improved necrotic shield | 13 | +9 |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Fleshcrafting artisan | 14 | +10 |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Fleshcraft | 15 | +11 |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Dead skin, decaying form | 16 | +12 |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Unholy revivification | 17 | +12 |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Master multicrafting | 18 | +13 |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Fleshcraft | 19 | +14 |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Fleshcrafting master, lich form | 20 | +15 |
Primary proficiencies, spell pool, casting mechanics, and baseline powers
Necros’s are proficient with simple weapons, as well as light armor and bucklers. In addition, if this is this character’s first level in any class, they may select a martial tradition of their choice.
A necros may combine spheres and talents to create magical effects. A necros is considered a Mid-Caster. They may use either Intelligence or Charisma as their casting ability modifier and must make this choice at 1st level. (Note: all casters may select a casting tradition the first time they gain the casting class feature.)
A necros gains a small reservoir of energy they can call on to create truly wondrous effects, called a spell pool. This pool contains a number of spell points equal to their level + their casting ability modifier (minimum: 1). This pool replenishes once per day after roughly 8 hours of rest.
A necros gains combat or magic talents according to Table: Necros, gaining their choice of combat or magic talents at each level they would gain a talent. Necros’s use their casting ability modifier as their practitioner modifier. (See Deathbound)
At 1st level, a necros can channel negative energy as the Cleric class feature a total number of times per day equal to 3 + their casting ability modifier, using their casting ability modifier in place of Charisma when determining its associated saving throw.
At 1st level, a necros may create a corpse puppet (see below) from the corpse of a deceased Medium or Small humanoid or a four legged animal (other animal corpses may be allowed upon GM approval). A necros cannot have an animal companion, familiar, or drake companion as long as they possess a corpse puppet. Unlike most undead, this corpse puppet is not mindless, retaining a spark of its former intelligence. As such, they are not limited to basic orders. Corpse puppets are perfectly preserved at the point at which they are created, although they can be allowed to rot if the necros desires.
A necros can break the connection between themselves and their corpse puppet as a full round action, causing it to revert to a normal corpse. To form a connection with a new corpse, they must spend 1 hour with the new corpse, causing it to gain hit dice equal to their old corpse puppet.
A necros must select the Death sphere as their 1st level talent and uses their class level as their caster level with the Death sphere. This stacks normally with caster levels gained from other sources.
At 2nd level, a necros gains the Command Undead feat.
At 2nd level, a necros is treated as an undead creature for the purpose of how positive and negative energy affect them.
At 3rd level, a necros can spend 1 spell point or use of channel energy to manipulate the flesh of any undead under their control including their corpse puppet (if the necros is undead, they cannot use this ability on themselves); this ability can be used when animating an undead with the reanimate ability of the Death sphere. This alteration of a creature lasts for 1 day. An undead creature’s flesh can be modified in the following ways (an ability can only be selected once unless otherwise stated):
| Attack | Primary or Secondary | Limb Needed | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bite | Primary | Head | 1d6 |
| Claws | Primary | Arms or Legs1 | 1d4 |
| Gore | Primary | Head | 1d6 |
| Hooves | Secondary | Legs | 1d4 |
| Pincers | Secondary | Arms | 1d6 |
| Slam | Primary | Arms | 1d8 |
| Sting | Primary | Tail | 1d4 |
| Tail Slap | Secondary | Tail | 1d6 |
| Wing Buffet | Secondary | Wings | 1d4 |
1: Only a single pair of legs can possess claws
At first, a necros only has the capability of applying a single ability to an undead. At 7th level and every four levels afterwards, a necros can apply an additional ability. Applying more than 1 ability from fleshcraft still only requires a single spell point or use of channel energy.
At 4th level, a necros’s body begins to become more akin to an undead’s, gaining DR 2/bludgeoning and magic. At 8th, 12th, and 16th level, this damage reduction increases by 2.
At 4th level, a necros can restore an undead creature they control to whatever state they wish, being able to alter it as though they were using the shapeshift ability of the Alteration sphere and being treated as though they had the perfect imitation talent. In addition, an undead controlled by the necros does not rot unless they desire.
At 5th level, a necros gains darkvision 60 feet. If they already possess darkvision, it instead increases by 30 feet. At 12th level, the necros gains the see in darkness universal ability.
At 5th level, whenever a necros grants an undead a fleshcrafter ability, they become attuned to that creature. The necros knows the creature’s exact hit point total, and as a standard action can see through the undead’s eyes as though they were their own as long as the undead is on the same plane as him. Doing so leaves the necros helpless, although they can issue mental commands to the undead while using this ability. At 11th level, the necros can directly control an undead whose eyes they are seeing through.
At 6th level, whenever a necros uses their fleshcrafter class feature on an undead, it gains temporary hit points equal to the necros’s class level + their casting ability modifier. These temporary hit points last until the fleshcrafting ends, and can be restored by the necros by expending 1 use of channel energy while within 60 feet of the undead.
At 13th level, the amount of temporary hit points gained is doubled.
At 7th level, a necros can also select an advanced fleshcraft to add to an undead in place of a normal fleshcrafting ability. An undead can only have a single ability from the advanced fleshcraft list:
At 8th level, a necros radiates a 5-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Enemies in the area must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 their class level + their casting ability modifier) or become shaken. A creature who successfully saves cannot be affected by that necros’s fear aura for 24 hours.
At 9th level, a necros can spend 5 uses of channel energy to restore an undead creature to unlife. This works as the resuscitate talent from the Life sphere, healing 5d8+casting ability modifier to determine its effects.
At 10th level, whenever a necros uses their fleshcrafting ability, they can spend an additional spell point or use of channel energy to have it affect a number of creatures equal to their casting ability modifier. If they do so, none of the creatures can gain an ability from the advanced fleshcraft class feature.
At 14th level, a necros can apply two abilities from the advanced fleshcrafting ability to an undead.
At 16th level, a necros becomes immune to nonlethal damage.
At 17th level, a necros can use their undead rebirth ability on himself as a free action which can be taken at any time.
At 18th level, whenever a necros uses their multicrafting ability, they can apply a single advanced talent to all undead affected by it.
At 20th level, a necros can apply three abilities from the advanced fleshcrafting ability to an undead.
At 20th level, a living necros gains the lich template (if they are an undead or construct, they gain the rejuvenation ability of the lich template), removing their Constitution score. In addition, their phylactery comes into existence instantly, requiring no effort or payment from the necros to do so.
Racial options when taking a level in Necros
+1 hit point to all undeadcreated by the necros.
+1/6 of combat talent to your corpse puppet.
+1/5 of an Illusion sphere talent.
+1/5 of an Death sphere talent.
+1/2 point of damage to negative energy damage you deal.
+1/6 of a new magic talent.
+1/5 of a Dark sphere talent.
+1/5 of an Illusion sphere talent.
+1/5 of an Destruction or Scoundrel sphere talent.
+1/5 of a Scout sphere talent.
+1/6 of a combat sphere talent.
+1/5 of a Destruction or Fire Nature sphere talent.
+1/5 of a Dark sphere talent.
+1 to Disguise checks made by undead you create.
+1/6 of a magic talent.
+1/5 of an Alteration or Fate sphere talent.
+1/2 point of damage to negative energy damage to corpse puppet attacks.
+1/2 point of healing to undead with negative energy attacks.
+1/6 of an additional free action 5’ for undead created by the necros.
+1/5 of a Warp sphere talent.
+1/5 of a Weather sphere talent.
+1/6 of a combat talent.
+1/2 point of healing to undead with negative energy attacks.
+1/5 of an Athletics sphere talent.
+1/5 of a Mind sphere talent.
+1 hit point to all undead created by the necros.
2 archetypes for Necros
Far more focused on hurting others than magical talent, brutal necromancers are destructive forces. Fighting in tandem with their corpse puppet, brutal necromancers are able to zer
Not fit to simply craft undead, some necros step beyond normal bonds, augmenting themselves and their creations with technological advancements. Necrotech savants use the power of