Necromancer (Dungeons & Dragons)
| A Dungeons & Dragons character class | |
|---|---|
| Publication history | |
| Editions | 2nd |
The Necromancer is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The necromancer is most often a specialist wizard, using the base rules for mages or wizards and adding death-magic. Clerics or other classes may also specialize in death magic, but they are not wizard necromancers in the technical sense.
Publication history
The Complete Necromancer's Handbook was published for 2nd edition AD&D, though it is intended for NPC necromancers.
Necromancers are also found as specialist wizards in the third edition of the game.
The third edition supplement Heroes of Horror presents the Dread Necromancer class, which differs from the basic specialist wizard. Instead the Dread Necromancer spontaneously casts spells like a sorcerer. Instead of the sorcerer's limited list, however, the Dread Necromancer has an expanded but thematic list, just like the Beguiler or Warmage.
The fourth edition sourcebook Heroes of Shadow allows the mage class from Heroes of the Fallen Lands to specialize in shadow magic with spells and class features. Other wizard classes can also select those spells as well.
Other media
The necromancer has also been featured as a character class for Dungeons & Dragons Online.
Necromancer, also known as Pale Master, is a negative caster, and available as a "prestige" sub-class of the Wizard.