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Intense blue-green magic pours from a female-presenting wizard in the background, lifting her from the ground and flaring her waist-length white hair behind her. She is surrounded by skeletal minions brandishing rusty weapons.

Get all 14 subclasses in the Complete Necromancer!

Necromancer subclass

Pale Master

Achieve the Archetypal Powers of Lichdom

When the need for superiority drives a Necromancer, there is no end to their ambition. Such Necromancers, known as Pale Masters, work feverishly to master every corner of necromantic magic, less out of the desire to improve themselves and more out of spite for their rivals.

This perhaps speaks to a dirty secret of Necromancy: most Necromancers hate each other. Bitter rivalries, grudges, and insignificant slights motivate Pale Masters to embrace lichdom with unequaled fervor, for to master Necromancy means to accept no equals.

Level 3: Pale Master Spells

Your necromantic ambitions ensure you always have certain spells ready. When you reach a Necromancer level specified in the Pale Master Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared. New spells are marked with an asterisk (*).

Necromancer
Level
Spells
3 Exhume,* Invisibility, Might of the Abyss,* Ray of Enfeeblement
5 Fear, Speak with Dead
7 Black Tentacles, Blight
9 Cloudkill, Scrying

Level 3: Charnel Empower

When you deal damage with a level 1+ Necromancy spell, you can expend a number of Charnel Touch points up to a maximum of your Necromancer level plus your Intelligence modifier. One target of the spell takes extra Necrotic damage equal to the number of Charnel Touch points expended.

Level 6: Chilling Disposition

You begin assuming the terrible aspect of a lich, granting you the following benefits.

Intelligent Intimidation. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill, if you didn’t have it already. Additionally, you gain a bonus to checks using this skill equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum bonus of +1).

Frightening Gaze. As a Bonus Action, you can expend 10 Charnel Touch points to fix your horrific gaze on a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute. The target repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on itself on a success.

Level 10: Thrall Rush

Whenever you roll Initiative, you can empty the contents of your Dead Space and each of your thralls can move up to its Speed.

Level 20: Archlich [Lichdom]

You have reached the pinnacle of Necromancy and transformed yourself into a lich. Your skin clings tightly to your bones, your muscles wither, and your eyes turn milky and dull. Yet, through the veil of weakness, your body exudes unbelievable arcane power. You gain the following benefits in addition to those of your Lichdom feature.

Devour Soul. When you reduce an enemy to 0 Hit Points, you can immediately devour its soul (no action required). Roll a d8 and regain expended spell slots of your choice whose combined level is no greater than the number rolled. Once you use this benefit, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

A creature whose soul is devoured can’t be restored to life by any means short of a Wish spell.

Magic Resistance. You have Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Paralyzing Touch. When you deal 30 or more damage with Charnel Touch, the target has the Paralyzed condition until the start of your next turn.


Get more subclasses in the Complete Necromancer

Or discover other innovative base classes in Valda’s Spire of Secrets!

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