Major Necromancy
The lich raises his hand and corpses burst from the ground around him. An armored dwarf raises his shield and braces for impact as a reanimated ogre comes barreling towards him. A ghostly warrior stands at the ready, prepared to guard his summoner and master.
Anyone who's delved into ancient ruins knows the best necromancers can animate all kinds of undead. Yet where are the scrolls for these kinds of spells? How does one learn to reanimate monsters? Fear not, skilled necromancer, for I will provide you with the knowledge you seek...
This homebrew package is a follow up to a previous package of mine, Minor Necromancy. If you enjoy either package, I encourage you to add both to your game.
Spells
Animate Greater Dead
5th level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 minute
- Range: 10 feet
- Components: V S M (A drop of blood, a piece of flesh, and a pinch of bone dust)
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Cleric, Wizard
This spell creates a powerful undead servant. Choose a Large pile of bones or a corpse of a Large creature within range. Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature. The target becomes a giant skeleton if you chose bones or a hulking zombie if you chose a corpse. The statistics for these creatures can be found in in the Stat Blocks section of this document.
On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.
The creature is under your control for 24 hours, after which it stops obeying any command you've given it. To maintain control of the creature for another 24 hours, you must cast this spell on the creature again before the current 24-hour period ends. This use of the spell reasserts your control over up to two creatures you have animated with this spell, rather than animating a new one.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using certain higher level spell slots, you can animate or reassert control over additional undead creatures. You can create two creatures or re-assert control over three with a 7th or 8th level spell slot, and you can create three creatures or re-assert control over four with a 9th level spell slot.
Raise the Field
3rd level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour.
- Classes: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
You animate the corpses of those buried underneath your feet. Choose up to eight points that are on the ground that are in range. A zombie emerges half way out of the ground at each point, animated with a foul imitation of life. These zombies have the default zombie statistics found in Appendix D of the Player's Handbook, with the following changes: their speed is 0, and targets hit with their slam attack are grappled by the zombie (escape DC 13).
These zombies are hostile to all creatures. Roll initiative for the raised zombies as a group. The zombies attack the nearest non-undead to the best of their ability.
When the spell ends, all the zombies burrow back underground and disappear.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using certain higher-level spell slots, you can choose more points on the ground from which to summon zombies: twice as many with a 5th-level slot, three times as many with a 7th-level slot, and four times as many with a 9th-level slot.
Repair Undead
1st level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous.
- Classes: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
You touch an undead creature and restore to it some of the necromantic energy which animates it. The undead regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on non-undead.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.
Corpse Strike
Those that have been following my other necromancy supplement, Minor Necromancy, since it's first version may be interested in knowing that Raise the Field is my updated version of Corpse Strike. I decided to focus on Corpse Strike's ability to provide battlefield control through opportunity attacks when redesigning it, as I felt that was the most interesting part. Raise the Field can be used to deter enemies from approaching particular parts of the battlefield, because if they attempt to run past one of your zombies they will either need to take an opportunity attack or waste their attacks trying to kill it.
Spectral Warrior
4th level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a broken dagger)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.
- Classes: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
You summon the spirit of a dead warrior to fight for you. A Medium spectral warrior appears in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range. You can choose the warrior's appearance, though it must be wielding at least one melee weapon. The warrior is translucent, meaning it does not obstruct vision, and incorporeal, meaning creatures, attacks, and effects pass harmlessly through it.
Any time a creature hostile to you moves within 5 feet of the warrior or starts its turn there, it must make a Dexterity saving throw or else take 6d6 necrotic damage, or half on a success, as the warrior attacks it.
As a bonus action on your turn, you can command the warrior to move up to 20 feet within range.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for every two slot levels above 4th.
Stat Blocks
Giant Skeleton
Large undead, neutral evil
- Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 53 (7d10 + 14)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3)
- Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
- Languages Understands all languages it knew in life but can't speak
- Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Actions
Multiattack. The skeleton makes two attacks.
Natural Weapons. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Bone Toss. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/60, one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Describing Giant Skeletons and Hulking Zombies
These stat block are devoid of specific details or abilities, as they are intended to be able to model any reanimated Large monster. When employing one of these stat blocks as part of an encounter or when creating one via Animate Greater Dead, consider describing its appearance and attacks in a way that matches the monster it was created from.
Credits
- Major Necromancy by /u/Enraric
- Lich art by Elisabeth Nagurnaya.
- Undead Servant art by James Zapata
- Necromantic Selection art by Dave Kendall
Major Necromancy is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Hulking Zombie
Large undead, neutral evil
- Armor Class 8
- Hit Points 86 (9d10 + 37)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 6 (-2) 18 (+4) 3 (-4) 6 (-2) 5 (-3)
- Saving Throws Wis +0
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
- Languages Understands all languages it knew in life but can't speak
- Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
