Homebrew necromancer face off.

[Tegu8788]

Hey folks, I've got an idea. With the slowing of our board, we are shifting more to legacy support, introducing new people, and homebrew.


And what everyone does is make a necromancer. Because the existing one is lame.

Side effect, there are now dozens of independent necromancer builds out there. Which while fun, does lead to trouble when it comes to finding one to play.


We have some of the smartest, and in my opinion, wise/kind people in this playground. And just about all of us that homebrew have a necromancer either finished, or in the works. So here's what I suggest: we build one together. Everyone throw in their build, point out what they think is important for a necromancer to have, and how to mechanically represent it, and some of the geniuses here will figure out a way to mash it together.



So, what does a necromancer need to be able to do?

• Summon undead
• Command undead
• Control wild undead
• Keep their undead on the board
• Other things...

[Yakk]

Spirits, zombies, skeletons, ghouls, abominations.

Should the necromancer have direct access to magic, or should it all be done through spirits/undead?

Mechanically, should the creatures controlled be inspired by MM monsters, be MM monsters, or other?

What (4e) role should the necromancer fullfill?

"Transferring life" from foes to yourself, from yourself to allies, or from foes to your allies?

Arcane/Shadow power source? What about "cleric necromancers"?

Hordes? Huge masterworks? Short-term summons/conjurations, or long-term summons, or both? Should animation be mechanically distinct from summoning/conjuration, and if so how?

If you reanimate a foe, what (if any) of the foes' attributes are used? Can you reanimate a foe in combat? During a short rest?

Can you control undead in combat? Or is controlling undead like reanimating a foe; you defeat it first, then get it afterwards?

Most damage should be necrotic; undead are common, and resistant/immune. How do we balance that?

What about the Deathknight option; do we make it a different class? A subclass?

How mechanically strange do we make the class? As an example, give it an abysmal number of HP, but a necrotic energy pool that works "like HP" (it is even refreshed by the consumption of healing surges and temporary HP, and it can be used to grant yourself temporary HP). That necrotic energy pool is used to both sustain your own HP, and that of your horde. The Death Knight uses most of the pool to buff themselves; the Hordemaster for a large number of (weak) allies, and the Master invests most of it in a Masterwork.

[GPuzzle]

One idea that I had was that of a melee Controller - essentially, the Necromancer would be able to summon a double that would repeat the same attack as the Necromancer did on an enemy. He could summon more, or alternatively apply different effects.

[e42randy]

If keeping with the kind of power balance 4e seems to be going for, I don't know how great controlling wild undead would be. It'd probably have to be something like charming, since you're effectively taking a foe out of combat, plus gaining another body for your team.

Here's an idea I had that's just waiting for a game (and a DM) to test it on. Take a standard wizard, but remove AIM and Spellbook features, and give them a new At-Will:

Spoiler: Raise Undead Minion

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Standard Action, melee touch, target must be dead (and limit based on level/elite/etc as determined by DM)

Effect: You raise the target as an undead version of itself. The target raises to a standing position with current hit points equal to its surge value, and regains its position in the initiative order. The target is weakened while raised, loses any action points it had, and is limited to one standard action, one move action and one minor action per turn (if the target was limited further before dying, those limits still apply). You determine the target's actions each turn. The target retains any armor, weapons and items on the body when raised. The target also retains all of its at-will and basic powers which are made known to you, and uses its own stats and modifiers on any rolls. The target does not have surges of its own, but you may spend one healing surge of your own when the minion is the target of a power that allows it to spend a surge. Effect ends at the end of your next turn or when combat ends. You may only have one Undead Minion under your command at a time. If you use this power on another target, the current Undead Minion effect ends.

Sustain Move: You sustain the effect on the target until the end of your next turn.

Aftereffect: After the effect ends, the target turns to dust, and cannot be targeted by this power again.

I think its fairly balanced--you lose controller features (while retaining the 'wizard that just went down a different path of specialization' feel) to gain a minion that does some damage and some added control. I thought maybe also make it dazed, but that may be too crippled to be useful. And the DM has to make sure that they clamp down what the limitation on targets is (no dragons/gods, obviously).

Of course, you can add feats to support it; one heroic feat can increase the range, one can allow the minion to survive between combats, one can allow bonuses on atk/def, one (paragon?) feat can allow you to change the sustain to a minor, etc.

[Laserlight]

"Necromancer" to me always includes:
1. Raise Undead
a. Hordes of minor undead--zombies and such. They generally make physical melee attacks.
b. Major undead, probably in limited numbers.

2. Divination. Raise a ghost, ask it questions.

It may also include:
3. Transform living into undead.
a. Possibly including the necromancer.
4. Frost and necrotic damage, slowing/immobilize effects.

[Tegu8788]

Raising the dead, that's the question. Do you raise generic undead, or would actually pulling that stat sheet back with the undead keyword? Having a select few types to choose from would be much easier in my opinion.

Necrotic and cold damage makes good sense. Perhaps a way to pierce necrotic damage would be fitting.

In terms of role, I thing the most obvious spot is somewhere between Controller and Leader. Perhaps a Leader that dabbles in either Control (Bard), or Striker (Warlord)? Minion master is inherently Controller-y, as is the debuffing and life stealing, while the buffing, raising, and healing are all Leader-y.

Role/power source shouldn't be too difficult. The big questions are, what manner of minions do you get, and how do we make the action economy work so it's not just telepresence fighting.

[Yakk]

Hence the idea of having a resource system that is healing-surge like.

You get fewer healing surges than other classes, but you get ... Shadow Surges (per day) to make up for it.

You expend Shadow Surges to create/maintain undead. You can also suck Shadow Surges out of defeated foes to some extent.

---

The Death Knight build consumes Shadow Surges to buff themselves, and grant themselves temporary HP.

The Horde Raiser consumes Shadow Surges to maintain large numbers of undead allies, from minions through to summon-scale.

The Abomination Doctor consumes Shadow Surges to maintain a single large, tough abomination.

---

Maybe most of the stats of the undead you raise are fixed. Burning extra Shadow Surges can steal some features (movement modes, or resistances) maybe.

Raising or Maintaining 2/3/4 minions is 1 Shadow Surge. Raising 1 normal monster is 1 Shadow Surge, 2 for an Elite, and 4 for a Solo.

Large requires 1 extra, Huge 2 extra, Colossal 3 extra Surges (so 2 large minions is 2 Surges).

They start with a movement speed of the lesser of 4 and their original movement speed on land.

They have HP equal to their Bloodied value during life (remains 1 for a minion). Their slam attack is based off their type and size.

You have a Standard Action: command undead to attack. This causes all of your undead minions to move and attack the nearest foe to them that you or they can see.

This makes the undead "mindless". There is a move action where you don't move, but you get to dictate where your horde goes. And a standard action that lets you reposition all of your horde, but they don't attack.

You have encounter powers that let you "boost" your undead minions actions -- one of them makes one of your horde's slam into a grab, for example. One of them may let them use an encounter power they had in life (but that undead can no longer ever use it again, forcing you to harvest fresh corpses).

We manage your damage budget by having a map between Shadow Surges and damage output.

As you lose undead, this means your damage output goes down. Which isn't ideal, really.

Maybe your ability to "boost" is somehow determined by the "slack" in your Shadow Surge pool? So you start the fight with a larger horde (so more damage), but you sacrifice them/have them die, which unlocks special moves (like aforsaid grab?) Sort of a law of inverse ninjas?

---

The different builds grant different daily resources.

Death Knight gets armor and melee combat. They have daily powers that consume Shadow Surges and/or Undead constructs to buff themselves.

Abomination Doctor's daily resources are buffs to one of their Undead constructs.

Horde Master daily resources let them recover Shadow Surges when their Undead die, and create new Undead in combat cheaply.

---

You can consume your own Healing Surges to recover your Shadow Surges, and you have some ability to steal from foes. Your max Shadow Surges is controlled, and Shadow Surges committed to undead count against your cap.

[Tegu8788]

See, I would have either normal or higher than normal number of surges, and bypass the shadow surge aspect to simplify things. Perhaps something from the vampire or artificer to share party surges. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

First, we get the what's. Then we can get the how's.


Incidentally, I'm not sure I'd want to mash the Death Knight in with the Necromancer. I'd make that a sub-build of the Blackguard, as a Vice that isn't underpowered. But, majority rules in playground building.

[vasharanpaladin]

Dropping this again.

Necromancy, to me, is about that cycle. Life begets death which creates more life. You have vampiric draining, you have the fear of death, you have disease and poison... you have healing. A necromancer studies death and as a consequence has greater knowledge of how the body works. He studies poison and disease, and can thus create or cure them with equal proficiency. He brings death to his enemies, and uses their fleeing souls to heal his allies.

That, in itself, should be broad enough to build a class around. If we must have an undead hordemaster build - and I honestly don't think it necessary - then it can and should be left to summoning powers. Perhaps one of the build-defining features grants an undead companion along the lines of the Sentinel Druid's beast companions, maybe he can summon a small group of minions at-will like this one can. The logic here, mind you, was that summoning minions actually gave it something of a unique shtick among the companion classes.

As for role, I still prefer Necromancer-as-Leader, just a very control-heavy Leader in the vein of the Bard.

[Yakk]

See, I would have either normal or higher than normal number of surges, and bypass the shadow surge aspect to simplify things. Perhaps something from the vampire or artificer to share party surges. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The shadow surges are intended as a two-fold budget.

A damage budget (shadows determine how many minions/normal/elite/solo you can keep animated), and a "HP in play" budget. Then converting surges to shadow surges keeps their daily damage attrition from getting crazy.

Undead minions with HP pools are damage soak, and your healing surges are your damage soak budget.

You can use some other mechanism to limit total animated allies, but it will probably be isomorphic.

For example, control points:
1 Control point = 2 minions
1 Control point = 1 normal undead
2 Control point = 1 elite undead
4 Control points = 1 solo undead

Some flat formula for defences (your defences? Your defences, except AC? Dunno.)

Normal undead have your Healing Surge value as HP.
Elite undead have your Bloodied Value as HP.
Solo undead have your full HP as HP.

Large Normal/Elite/Solo undead have an extra Healing Surge value (and cost 1 extra Control Point).
Huge have 2 your Bloodied Value extra HP (and cost 2 extra Control Points).
Colossal have your HP Value extra HP (and cost 4 extra Control Points).

So a Collossal Solo have twice as many HP as you do, and cost 8 Control Points.

(Note that I've just renamed Shadow Surges as Control Points).

We'll target your at-will damage to be (level+3)*1.5 with 60% accuracy. So at level 1 we get 10 total damage, +2.5 per level.

We want at reasonable sized horde. So at level 1, you get 3 control points.

At 5s, you get +1 control point.
At 1s, you get +2 control points.

1:3
5:4
11:6
15:7
21:9
25:10
30:10

Using our damage budget of 7.5+2.5*Level:


1:3 @ 10 = 3.33 dam/point
5:4 @ 20 = 5 dam/point
11:6 @ 35 = 5.8 dam/point
15:7 @ 45 = 6.4 dam/point
21:9 @ 60 = 6.7 dam/point
25:10 @ 70 = 7 dam/point
30:10 @ 82.5 = 8.25 dam/point

whew! An increasing amount of damage per control point. That is good. (The actual curve would only have to approximate that).

Minions are tricky, but I'll propose we make the minion attack a "close burst 1" around every minion, and max 1 hit per target; ie, minions deal AOE damage, and cannot deal focus damage. That would let them have higher damage than they otherwise would have.

At the above rate, damage/control point grows too fast for the attacks to be boostable by feats/implements. One would have to decrease the control point increase rate to allow for that. I sort of like being able to exploit items, but I also like a large number of undead monstrosities.

One idea would be to give the necromancer a fetish. The fetish is a bounded implement; so long as you retain possession of it, you gain an extra number of control points equal to its enhancement value.

That makes your base control points be 3 plus 1 per tier, plus your fetish enhancement value? And maybe a feat for +1 control in exchange for -2 healing surges?

Creating a new undead can burn your own healing surges at a cost of 1 healing surge per control point activated. It usually takes 1 minute per control point activated as well; in-combat raise dead can be utility powers?

The "undead attack" action makes all of your undead move towards the nearest enemy they can reach, and attack them. This lets you have a mass army that attacks. By bounding their damage, we can limit the

Still runs into the problem that as undead fall your offensive power falls. Some system to invest free control points to buff an existing undead can work?

[Hawk7915]

The shadow surges are intended as a two-fold budget.

A damage budget (shadows determine how many minions/normal/elite/solo you can keep animated), and a "HP in play" budget. Then converting surges to shadow surges keeps their daily damage attrition from getting crazy.

Undead minions with HP pools are damage soak, and your healing surges are your damage soak budget.

You can use some other mechanism to limit total animated allies, but it will probably be isomorphic.

For example, control points:
1 Control point = 2 minions
1 Control point = 1 normal undead
2 Control point = 1 elite undead
4 Control points = 1 solo undead

Some flat formula for defences (your defences? Your defences, except AC? Dunno.)

Normal undead have your Healing Surge value as HP.
Elite undead have your Bloodied Value as HP.
Solo undead have your full HP as HP.

Large Normal/Elite/Solo undead have an extra Healing Surge value (and cost 1 extra Control Point).
Huge have 2 your Bloodied Value extra HP (and cost 2 extra Control Points).
Colossal have your HP Value extra HP (and cost 4 extra Control Points).

So a Collossal Solo have twice as many HP as you do, and cost 8 Control Points.

(Note that I've just renamed Shadow Surges as Control Points).

We'll target your at-will damage to be (level+3)*1.5 with 60% accuracy. So at level 1 we get 10 total damage, +2.5 per level.

We want at reasonable sized horde. So at level 1, you get 3 control points.

At 5s, you get +1 control point.
At 1s, you get +2 control points.

1:3
5:4
11:6
15:7
21:9
25:10
30:10

Using our damage budget of 7.5+2.5*Level:


1:3 @ 10 = 3.33 dam/point
5:4 @ 20 = 5 dam/point
11:6 @ 35 = 5.8 dam/point
15:7 @ 45 = 6.4 dam/point
21:9 @ 60 = 6.7 dam/point
25:10 @ 70 = 7 dam/point
30:10 @ 82.5 = 8.25 dam/point

whew! An increasing amount of damage per control point. That is good. (The actual curve would only have to approximate that).

Minions are tricky, but I'll propose we make the minion attack a "close burst 1" around every minion, and max 1 hit per target; ie, minions deal AOE damage, and cannot deal focus damage. That would let them have higher damage than they otherwise would have.

At the above rate, damage/control point grows too fast for the attacks to be boostable by feats/implements. One would have to decrease the control point increase rate to allow for that. I sort of like being able to exploit items, but I also like a large number of undead monstrosities.

One idea would be to give the necromancer a fetish. The fetish is a bounded implement; so long as you retain possession of it, you gain an extra number of control points equal to its enhancement value.

That makes your base control points be 3 plus 1 per tier, plus your fetish enhancement value? And maybe a feat for +1 control in exchange for -2 healing surges?

Creating a new undead can burn your own healing surges at a cost of 1 healing surge per control point activated. It usually takes 1 minute per control point activated as well; in-combat raise dead can be utility powers?

The "undead attack" action makes all of your undead move towards the nearest enemy they can reach, and attack them. This lets you have a mass army that attacks. By bounding their damage, we can limit the

Still runs into the problem that as undead fall your offensive power falls. Some system to invest free control points to buff an existing undead can work?

This is all brilliant and more thought out than anything I had. One note is that as written you'd be animating dead monsters you have slain, but to me not all monsters in any monster manual are created equal. I think it's crucial to provide a list of summon-able monsters, and standardize them. I think that three choices per category is more than reasonable, since once can easily refluff them.

In regards to the "Undead falling = damage potential falling", part of me feels like our Control Points should be a resource that replaces Dailies for the class (much like Psions). Perhaps certain Encounters would allow you to empower them with your Control Points, thus allowing a necromancer to get some bigger effects out of excess CPs? This would also help support a Necromancer that can't, won't, or doesn't want to summon a horde of zombies or a massive undead troll: they can just funnel that power into their Bone Shard spell for extra damage/control.

Making it replace dailies means it shouldn't scale as gear though, and it leads to gameplay that seems interesting but also dangerous to me: if a Necromancer can keep their big undead army patched up and strong, they are getting a lot of value out of their daily slots with a multi-encounter boost. But if the undead just get nuked, they are losing a lot compared to the power of a daily. Tough call.

[UrielAwakened]

Hey guys. Long time lurker here. I made an account to share what I had in the way of a 4e Necromancer. I designed this about 5 or 6 years ago to play in a friend's campaign, but it fell through and I lost interest. It was designed as a primary leader with heavy control aspects, but it could also double as a defender instead.

Feel free to use this as a jumping off point. I got up through level 17 encounter powers, most of four paragon paths, some feats, and some implements. It's heavily influenced by Necromancers in 3.5, Diablo II, and Everquest. Enjoy.

Spoiler: Class Features

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"Alive, dead, it's all the same. They'll all be mine...eventually."

CLASS TRAITS
Role: Leader. You amass armies of the undead, and use your powers over both life and death to bolster your allies as well as your minions.
Power Source: Shadow. You draw your power from the Shadowfell, enabling you to wreck havoc on the natural circle of life. You use your powers to suck the life from your opponents and return it to your allies.
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Constitution, Charisma
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
Implements: Skulls, staffs, wands
Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Will
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution score

Hit Points per Level Gained: 4
Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier
Trained Skills: Religion. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Bluff (Cha), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), History (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Nature (Int), Religion (Int), Stealth (Dex)
Class Features: Ritual Casting, Necromantic Coven, Shadow Walk, Raise Skeleton, Shadow Word

CONJURED CREATURE
A creature you conjure uses these rules, unless a power description says otherwise.
- Allied Creature: When you use a conjuring power, you create a creature that is an ally to you and your allies. The power determines where the conjured creature appears.
- Your Defenses: The conjured creature’s defenses equal yours when you conjure it, not
including any temporary bonuses or penalties.
- Hit Points: The conjured creature has 1 hit point, and is treated as a minion for the purposes of attacks made against it. A conjured creature never takes damage on a miss.
- No Healing Surges: The conjured creature lacks healing surges, and cannot be affected by any power that would allow it to spend a healing surge.
- No Flanking: Unless otherwise specified, the conjured creature does not provide flanking to you or your allies.
- Speed: The conjuring power determines the conjured creature’s speed.
- Commanding the Creature: The conjured creature has no actions of its own; you spend actions to command it mentally. You can command the creature only if you have line of effect to it. When you command the creature, the two of you share knowledge but not senses. A conjured creature can be commanded to take any kind of physical action you would be capable of performing, however, unlike a summoned creature, a conjuration takes the same type of action to perform the task. The conjuring power determines any special commands you can give the summoned creature and gives an action type for each command. If a special command is a minor action, you can give that command only once during each of your turns.
- Attacks and Checks: If a conjuring power allows the conjured creature to attack, you make an attack through the creature, as specified in the power description. If the conjured creature can make a skill check or an ability check, you make the check.
- Duration: Unless the conjuring power states otherwise, the conjured creature lasts until the end of your next turn, unless it takes some action. You may sustain a conjured creature as a minor action. If you end your turn with a conjuration a distance away from you greater than the range of the spell used to summon it, it drops to 0 hit points immediately.

SUMMONED CREATURE
A creature you summon uses these rules, unless a power description says otherwise.
- Allied Creature: When you use a summoning power, you create a creature that is an ally to you and your allies. The power determines where the summoned creature appears.
- Your Defenses: The summoned creature’s defenses equal yours when you summon it, not
including any temporary bonuses or penalties.
- Hit Points: The summoned creature’s maximum hit points equal your bloodied value. When the
summoned creature drops to 0 hit points, it is destroyed, and you lose a healing surge. If you have no healing surges left, you instead take damage equal to half your bloodied value.
- No Healing Surges: The summoned creature lacks healing surges, but if a power allows it to spend a healing surge, you can spend a healing surge for it.The summoned creature then gains the benefit of the healing surge, instead of your gaining it.
- Speed: The summoning power determines the summoned creature’s speed.
- Commanding the Creature: The summoned creature has no actions of its own; you spend actions to command it mentally. You can command the creature only if you have line of effect to it. When you command the creature, the two of you share knowledge but not senses. As a minor action, you can command the summoned creature to take one of the following actions, if it is physically capable of taking that action: crawl, escape, fly, open or close a door or a container, pick up or drop an item, run, stand up, shift, squeeze, or walk. The summoning power determines any special commands you can give the summoned creature and gives an action type for each command. If a special command is a minor action, you can give that command only once during each of your turns.
- Attacks and Checks: If a summoning power allows the summoned creature to attack, you make an attack through the creature, as specified in the power description. If the summoned creature can make a skill check or an ability check, you make the check. Attacks and checks you make through the creature do not include temporary bonuses or penalties to your statistics.
- Duration: Unless the summoning power states otherwise, the summoned creature lasts until the end of the encounter and then disappears. As a minor action, you can dismiss the summoned creature.

Ritual Casting
You gain the Ritual Caster feat. At level 6, you automatically gain the ritual Speak With Dead, and can cast it once per day free of cost. At level 8, you automatically gain the ritual Raise Dead.

Necromantic Coven
Coven of Execrations: Once per round, when an opponent fails a saving throw caused by one of your powers, you grant an ally that you can see a saving throw.
Once per encounter, as a free action, you can grant an enemy a penalty to its next saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier.
Coven of Conjurations: Once per round, when an opponent attacks an ally adjacent to your conjurations or summons, you can grant the ally a bonus to his or her defenses equal to twice the number of summons and conjurations adjacent to the ally.
Once per encounter, when you use a power with the summoning or conjuration keyword, the creature gains a bonus to all damage equal to your Constitution modifier.

Raise Skeleton Necromancer Feature
You beckon to the earth, and a shambling skeletal warrior claws his way out of the ground, ready to serve your every whim.
At-Will - Conjuration, Implement, Shadow
Minor (1/round)
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a medium skeleton. The skeleton has speed 6, and has the following actions available to it:
Short sword (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence + 2 vs. AC, 1d8 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Level 21: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Sustain minor: The skeleton remains.

Shadow Word Necromancer Feature
Your words redirect the ebb and flow of life itself, healing your allies and gifting your servants with renewed vigor.
Encounter (Special) - Healing, Shadow
Minor
Close burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Target: You or one ally in burst
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge. If the target does so, one ally or summon in the burst, other than the target, gains temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Level 6: 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Level 11: 3d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Level 16: 4d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Level 21: 5d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Level 26: 6d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only once per round. At 16th level, you can use this power three times per encounter, but only once per round.

Spoiler: At-Will 1

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Black Ritual Necromancer Attack 1
You forge a dark ritual with the opponent. The shadow energy courses over them, emboldening their adversaries as a direct result of their actions.
At-Will - Necrotic, Implement, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. The next time the target attacks an ally before the end of your next turn, that ally gains temporary hit points equal to one-half your level + your Intelligence modifier.
Level 21: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage

Blasphemous Strike Necromancer Attack 1
Your undead minion lashes out at a nearby foe, enraging it by merely existing.
At-Will - Implement, Shadow
Standard
Melee 1
Target: One creature within reach of a minion
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[M] + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target is marked by your minion until the end of your next turn.

Poison Ward Necromancer Attack 1
A venomous serpent rises from the earth, ready to strike at any foes that hazard too close.
At-Will - Conjuration, Implement, Poison, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a small, poisonous snake totem that lasts until the end of your next turn. If an enemy moves adjacent to the ward during its turn, it takes 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier poison damage and gets a -2 penalty to all defenses until the end of its next turn.
Level 21: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier poison damage.

Shadow Pulse Necromancer Attack 1
A black pulse of energy douses your enemy in shadows, clouding their vision, granting your allies a veil of darkness in which to maneuver.
At-Will - Necrotic, Implement, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and your allies have concealment from the target until the end of your next turn.
Level 21: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage.

Swarm Strike Necromancer Attack 1
Your undead minions surround your opponent, distracting them from the real threat.
At-Will - Implement, Shadow
Standard
Melee 1
Target: One creature within reach of a minion
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[M] + Intelligence modifier damage. The next ally to attack the target before the end of your next turn gets a bonus to the attack roll equal to the number of minions or summons adjacent to the target.

Spoiler: Encounter 1

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Amplify Damage Necromancer Attack 1
You utter a few words with a malicious tongue, causing psychic pain. Your foe's wounds deepen, growing more sensitive to even the slightest glancing blows.
Encounter - Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage.
Effect: The creature gains vulnerability 5 to the next attack made against it until the end of your next turn.
Coven of Execrations : The creature gains vulnerability equal to 2 + your Charisma modifier.

Raise Zombie Necromancer Attack 1
A mindless decaying corpse rises from the ground, hungry for the brains of the still-living.
Encounter - Conjuration, Implement, Shadow
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a medium zombie. The zombie has speed 4, and has the following actions available to it:
Zombie grab (standard, encounter) - Melee 1; Intelligence vs. Reflex; The target is grabbed. While grabbed, the target suffers a -5 penalty to escape.
Zombie slam (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence + 2 vs. AC; 1d8 + Intelligence modifier damage
Covenant of Conjurations: The penalty to escape is equal to 2 + your Constitution modifier.
Sustain minor: The zombie remains.

Siphon Life Necromancer Attack 1
You draw from your opponent a portion of their soul, gifting it to an ally to restore their life force.
Encounter - Healing, Implement, Necrotic Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and one ally within range can spend a healing surge, regaining bonus hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Toxic Cloud Necromancer Attack 1
You wrap yourself in a noxious gas, poisoning anything that gets too close to you.
Encounter - Implement, Poison, Shadow
Standard
Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier poison damage.
Effect: Any creature that starts or moves next to you before the end of your next turn takes 5 poison damage.

Spoiler: Daily 1

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Blight Necromancer Attack 1
You wave your hand across the ground, cursing the very land beneath your feet.
Daily - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow, Zone
Standard
Close burst 2
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is weakened (save ends).
Effect: This power creatures a zone that lasts until the end of your next turn. Any creature in the zone at the start of its turn takes 5 necrotic damage, and is slowed and weakened until the end of your next turn.
Sustain minor: The zone persists.

Bloody Effusion Necromancer Attack 1
Fragmentations of shadow rend and claw at your foe, tearing away its flesh and grafting it onto your allies as retribution for the pain it has caused.
Daily - Healing, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. Until the end of the encounter, whenever a bloodied ally hits the target, they regain hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Miss: Half-damage.
Effect: Your allies gain regeneration 2 while bloodied.

Deathly Chill Necromancer Attack 1
You loose a burst of frozen air upon your adversary, freezing them to the bone.
Daily - Cold, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier cold damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends).
Miss: Half damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, the target takes a -2 penalty to its AC and Fortitude. If the target takes cold or necrotic damage, it becomes slowed until the end of its next turn.

Summon Clay Golem Necromancer Attack 1
A hulking humanoid forms from the mud and sand at your feet. It's fists quickly harden as it prepares to pound your opponents to death.
Daily - Implement, Shadow, Summoning
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You summon a medium clay golem. The clay golem has a speed of 6. It has a +2 bonus to AC and Fortitude. You can give the clay golem the following special commands:
Slam (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence vs. Reflex; 1d10 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Pound (standard, daily) - Close blast 3; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 2d10 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target is knocked prone and immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Spoiler: Utility 2

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Bone Armor Necromancer Utility 2
Undead spirits swath your form, and a plate of bone forms over your chest, protecting you from your foes.
Encounter - Necrotic, Shadow
Immediate Interrupt
Personal
Effect: You gain a +4 power bonus to AC until the end of your next turn. Any opponent that attacks you takes 5 necrotic damage.

Double Speak Necromancer Utility 2
You make a few silent gestures, and suddenly the silver-tongue of the eloquent fellow before you seems to soften into mush.
Encounter - Charm, Implement, Shadow
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: When an opponent makes a bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate check.
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: Your opponent rerolls the check with a penalty equal to your Charisma modifier.

Fade to Black Necromancer Utility 2
You smirk as your body slowly fades into the shadows, leaving behind no trace of your countenance behind as you meld into darkness.
Daily - Shadow
Minor
Personal
Effect: You turn invisible until the end of your next turn, or until you make an attack.
Sustain standard: You remain invisible.

False Life Necromancer Utility 2
You bestow upon your ally a second soul, dragged from the Shadowfell, which temporary grants them added longevity.
Daily - Healing, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One ally
Effect: You spend a healing surge. The target gains temporary hit points equal to your surge value + your intelligence modifier. These temporary hit points stack with any temporary hit points granted by powers with the Shadow keyword.

Summon Resistance Necromancer Utility 2
With a wave of your hand, shadows crystalize on your summons, granted them improved defensive capabilities.
Encounter - Shadow
Minor
Close burst 5
Target: Each summon or conjuration in burst
Effect: Your minions gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the end of the encounter. Each minion in the burst gains resistance to one of the following types of damage equal to your Intelligence modifier: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.

Spoiler: Encounter 3

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Dim Vision Necromancer Attack 3
A blanket of shadow descends upon your enemies, clouding their vision, making it easier for your allies to slip away.
Encounter - Implement, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier damage, and your allies have concealment against the target until the end of your next turn.
Coven of Execrations: The penalty to attack rolls equals your Charisma modifier.

Raise Skeletal Mage Necromancer Attack 3
In an instant, a shambling skeleton emerges from the earth, its eyes glowing with arcane energy, lusting for battle once more.
Encounter - Acid, Cold, Conjuration, Fire, Implement, Lightning, Shadow
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a medium skeletal mage. The skeletal mage has speed 6, and has the following actions available to it:
Orb of energy (standard, basic ranged attack) - Range 5; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 1d8 + Intelligence modifier damage; Upon conjuring the skeletal mage, roll 1d4 to determine the type of damage it deals:
1 - Fire
2 - Cold
3 - Acid
4 - Lightning
Claw (standard, basic melee attack) - Intelligence + 2 vs. AC; 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Covenant of Conjurations: The skeletal mage gets a bonus to the range of Orb of energy equal to your Constitution modifier.
Sustain minor: The skeletal mage remains.

Spirit Teeth Necromancer Attack 3
A swarm of insubstantial teeth gnash and tear at anything in their path, latching on for added suffering.
Encounter - Force, Implement, Shadow
Standard
Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier force damage. If the target takes damage before the end of your next turn, make a secondary attack.
Secondary Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 force damage.

Terror Necromancer Attack 3
You draw a bewitching symbol in the air, and instantly, all of your foes worst nightmares appear before their eyes, forcing them to flee in horror.
Encounter - Fear, Implement, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: The targets flee a number of squares equal to their move speed. The fleeing targets avoid unsafe squares and difficult terrain if it can. This movement provokes opportunity attacks.

Spoiler: Daily 5

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Bleeding Ulcer Necromancer Attack 5
You focus your malicious wills upon an already injured enemy, who soon begins to writhe in pain and agony, its wounds dripping with ichor.
Daily - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One bloodied creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and 10 ongoing damage (save ends). While the target is taking this ongoing damage, it cannot turn invisible or benefit from concealment.
Miss: Half-damage, and 5 ongoing damage (save ends).

Decrypify Necromancer Attack 5
You make a hexing gesture and shadows begin to cling to your foes, slowing their movement, and halting their ability to press the attack.
Daily - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d10 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is slowed (save ends). While the target is slowed, it takes a -4 penalty to all attack rolls. Aftereffect: The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.
Miss: Half-damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn. The target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.

Envenom Weapon Necromancer Attack 5
You slather a thick blend of toxins upon an allies weapon, guaranteeing that the next attack will leave a lasting impression.
Daily - Poison, Shadow
Standard
Melee touch
Target: One weapon held by you or an ally
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, all attacks made with this weapon deal an extra 1d6 poison damage. When the weapon deals damage, the target takes an additional 5 ongoing poison damage (save ends).

Summon Stone Golem Necromancer Attack 5
The rocks from the earth draw upward, and in an instant, a massive golem erected from stone towers over your enemies, ready to beat them into submission.
Daily - Implement, Shadow, Summoning
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You summon a medium stone golem. The stone golem has resist 2 all. The stone golem has a speed of 6. It has a +2 bonus to AC and Fortitude. You can give the stone golem the following special commands:
Slam (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence vs. Reflex; 1d10 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Crush (standard, daily) - Melee 1; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 3d10 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target is knocked prone and dazed (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is slowed (save ends).

Spoiler: Utility 6

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Aura of Undeath Necromancer Utility 6
Your very essence seems to seap out, causing creatures nearby to wince in pain. The dead seem to rise out of the ground, almost without your command.
Encounter - Conjuration, Necrotic, Shadow, Stance
Minor
Personal
Effect: Until the stance ends, any enemy that enters or ends its turn in a square adjacent to you takes 5 necrotic damage. If an enemy dies while in this aura, you can raise it as a skeleton minion at the start of your next turn as a free action. Any skeleton raised in this way lasts until the end of your next turn.

Blood Offering Necromancer Utility 6
You use a portion of your own blood to fuel this dark ritual, giving your allies renewed vigor.
Daily - Healing, Shadow
Standard
Close burst 5
Target: Each ally in burst
Effect: You take damage equal to your healing surge value, which cannot be reduced in any way. Each ally in the burst can spend a healing surge.

Bone Wall Necromancer Utility 6
You raise your hands, and a wall built of solid bone constructs itself before you.
Daily - Conjuration, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Area wall 8 within 10
Effect: You conjure a wall that consists of contiguous squares filled with bone. The wall can be up to 8 squares long and 4 squares high. The wall lasts until the end of your next turn, and any creature that starts its turn adjacent to the wall takes 1d6 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. The wall provides superior cover and blocks line of sight.
Sustain minor: The wall remains.

Shadow Swap Necromancer Utility 6
As your foes bear down upon you, you merely smile. Your foes blade seems to piece not mushy flesh, but rather, rigid bone.
Daily - Shadow, Teleportation
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: You are hit by an attack.
Prerequisite: You have one minion alive within 10 squares.
Personal
Effect: You teleport to the space currently occupied by your minion. At the same time, your minion teleports to the space currently occupied by you, and your minion takes the damage instead. You gain concealment until the end of your next turn.

Spoiler: Encounter 7

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Corpse Explosion Necromancer Attack 7
You point a solitary finger towards a minion. In an instant, it ruptures, surprising your foes and bathing them in gore.
Encounter - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Prerequisite: You have one minion alive within 10 squares.
Close burst 1
Target: Each creature adjacent to your minion
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn. Your minion dies.

Raise Wight Necromancer Attack 7
A few forbidden words, and you enchant a corpse with all the mystery of the Shadowfell, bringing a life-starved wight into to your servitude.
Encounter - Conjuration, Healing, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a medium wight. The wight has speed 7, and has the following actions available to it:
Soul Drain (standard, encounter) - Melee 1; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 2d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and one ally adjacent to either you or your wight can spend a healing surge.
Claw (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence + 2 vs. AC; 1d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the wight shifts 1 square.
Covenant of Conjurations: Soul drain restores additional hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.
Sustain minor: The wight remains.

Iron Maiden Necromancer Attack 7
You entrap your opponents with a fiendish curse, ensuring any pain they inflict will be returned to them in psychic misery.
Encounter - Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and the target takes psychic damage equal to any damage it causes until the end of your next turn.
Coven of Execrations: The target takes psychic damage equal to any damage it causes + your Charisma modifier.

Stolen Luck Necromancer Attack 7
You place a hex on a foe, draining their life force, as well as their luck.
Encounter - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target takes a -4 penalty to the next attack it makes before the end of your next turn. In addition, one ally you can see gets a +4 power bonus to the next attack it makes before the end of your next turn.

Spoiler: Daily 9

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Contagion Necromancer Attack 9
You use an ailing ally as a nexus for your shadow energies, forcing a malady out of them, and straight into an adversary.
Daily - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 2 within 10
Target: One creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 3d10 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and you choose one ally within the burst who is suffering from a condition that a save can end other than unconsciousness. The ally immediately saves, and the target gains the same effect with a -5 penalty to save.
Miss: Half-damage, and one ally within the burst can make a saving throw.

Pale Fog Necromancer Attack 9
You conjure a bone-white fog into existence, whose vapors enter the bodies of your enemies, choking the life out of them.
Daily - Cold, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow, Zone
Standard
Area burst 2 within 10
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier cold and necrotic damage, and the target is weakened and slowed (save ends both).
Effect: The burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. You can move the zone 3 squares as a move action. Any enemy that starts its turn in the zone is slowed and weakened until the end of its next turn. Any ally in the zone has total concealment from attacks made outside of the zone.

Summon Blood Golem Necromancer Attack 9
You cut your hand, letting the blood drip to the earth below. It congeals, and begins to take the shape of a hulking creature with whom you share an unbreakable bond.
Daily - Healing, Implement, Shadow, Summoning
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You summon a medium blood golem. The blood golem has a speed of 6. It has a +2 bonus to AC and Fortitude. You can give the blood golem the following special commands:
Slam (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence vs. Reflex; 1d10 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the blood golem regains hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Blood Splatter (standard, daily) - Close burst 2; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 2d10 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target cannot regain hit points (save ends). In addition, each ally in the burst can spend a healing surge.
Special: The blood golem does not have its own hit points. Instead, it shares hit points with you. Any damage the blood golem takes is subtracted from your hit points total. In addition, any hit points recovered with its slam attack are added to your hit points total. Any other effects are not shared between you and the blood golem. If you drop to 0 hit points or fewer, the blood golem dies.

Symbol of Pain Necromancer Attack 9
You scribe a powerful rune in the air. It appears on both you and your foe, allowing you to deliver mindblowing pain...for a price.
Daily - Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and the target is dazed and falls prone (save ends). Until the target saves, you can choose to take 10 damage whenever it makes an attack. If you do, the target takes a -4 penalty to the attack.
Miss: Half-damage, and the target takes a -4 penalty to its next attack made before the end of your next turn.

Spoiler: Utility 10

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Bolster Undead Necromancer Utility 10
You invoke a small fragment of the vitality your minions had in life, driving them beyond their limits.
Encounter - Shadow
Minor
Close burst 5
Target: Each summon or conjuration in burst
Effect: The targets gain a +2 power bonus to all attack and damage rolls until the end of the encounter. In addition, your minions gain 10 temporary hit points.

Desecration Necromancer Utility 10
You open a rift to the Shadowfell, tarnishing a sacred ground or an arcane creation with bleak shadow energies.
Daily - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow, Zone
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature that has created a zone
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: Choose one zone that the target has created. Any effect caused by that zone is permanently ended. In addition, choose one of the following effects to replace it:
- Any creature starting its turn in the zone takes necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier + 5.
- Any creature starting its turn in the zone grants combat advantage until the end of its next turn.
- Any ally starting its turn in the zone gains temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier + 5.
Sustain minor: You can now choose to sustain the zone as a minor action. Whenever you sustain the zone, you can choose a new effect.

Shadow Salvation Necromancer Utility 10
You feel an ally's soul begin to slip away, and immediately step through the Shadowfell to come to his aid.
Encounter - Healing, Shadow, Teleportation
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: You or an ally within 10 squares drops to 0 hit points or less.
Range 10
Target: One unoccupied square adjacent to the ally.
Effect: You teleport to a square adjacent to your ally. You and the ally can both immediately spend a healing surge. In addition, all squares adjacent to you are cloaked in shadows that only you and the triggering ally are able to see through until the end of your next turn.

Shadowy Visage Necromancer Utility 10
You grant a creature the power to blend its physical form with the Shadowfell for a time, allowing it to walk between worlds.
Encounter - Shadow
Minor
Close burst 5
Target: You or one ally
Effect: The creature gains insubstantial and phasing until the end of its next turn, or until it makes an attack. In addition, its movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Sustain standard: The creature remains in its shadowy form.

Spoiler: Encounter 13

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Defiling Miasma Necromancer Attack 13
A thick, noxious poison envelops your foes, slowing them, and making them more susceptible in both mind and body.
Encounter - Implement, Poison, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence modifier poison damage, and all of the target's defenses equal its lowest defense until the end of your next turn.

Venomous Gale Necromancer Attack 13
A blast of toxic air overcomes your foes, which poisons them and staggers their pace.
Encounter - Implement, Poison, Shadow
Standard
Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier poison damage, and the target is slowed and cannot shift until the end of your next turn. In addition, the target takes 5 poison damage for each square it leaves during its turn.

Raise Ghoul Necromancer Attack 13
You beckon to the earth, and a corpse forms into a hunching ghoul, savage for flesh, and stinking of the grave.
Encounter - Conjuration, Implement, Shadow
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a medium ghoul. The ghoul has speed 7, and has the following actions available to it:
Ghoulish Bite (standard, encounter) - Melee 1; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 3d6 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Claw (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence + 2 vs. AC; 1d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. If movement provoked this attack, the target stops moving.
Covenant of Conjurations: Any creature immobilized by the ghoul takes a penalty to all defenses equal to your Constitution modifier until the end of your next turn.
Sustain minor: The ghoul remains.

Malaise Necromancer Attack 13
You slow your opponents thought processes with a mental curse, dazing them, and rendering them more susceptible to mental assault.
Encounter - Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Area burst 1 within 10
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and the target is dazed and takes a -2 penalty to its Will until the end of your next turn.
Coven of Execrations: The penalty to Will is equal to your Charisma modifier.

Spoiler: Daily 15

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Blood Bond Necromancer Attack 15
You give up a portion of your life-force to form a bridge through the Shadowfell, linking you and your opponent's souls together.
Daily - Healing, Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One enemy
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and you can spend a healing surge. Instead of regaining hit points, you link your soul with that of the target. Whenever the target takes damage, you can choose to regain hit points equal to the damage done or your level, whichever is lower. If you end your turn farther than 10 squares from the target, the effect ends. As a minor action, you can transfer this effect to any ally within 10 squares of you if they choose to spend a healing surge.
Miss: Half-damage, and you and one ally that you can see can spend a healing surge.

Brittle Bones Necromancer Attack 15
You point at a target, and instantly its bones begin to crack and crumble, rending it useless in combat.
Daily - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d10 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to all attack rolls and a -5 penalty to all damage rolls (save ends both). If the opponent attacks you or one of your allies during its turn, it can not attempt a save until the end of its next turn.
Miss: Half-damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to all attack and damage rolls until the end of your next turn.

Masochism Necromancer Attack 15
You enchant an ally with a mind-altering hex, and they are suddenly no longer adverse to the mundane cuts and bruises of battle.
Daily - Shadow
Immediate Reaction
Range 10
Trigger: An ally takes damage
Target: The triggering ally
Effect: The target gains resist 5 all until the end of the encounter. Whenever your ally takes damage that exceeds this value, they receive a bonus to all damage rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier until the end of their next turn. If your ally spends a healing surge, all effects granted by this power end.

Summon Iron Golem Necromancer Attack 15
You use a magic blade as a focus, and, in an instant, it reforms into the shape of the humanoid figure, coated in spikes, and eager to deliver a killing blow to your enemies.
Daily - Implement, Shadow, Summoning
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You summon a medium iron golem. The iron golem has a speed of 6. It has a +4 bonus to AC and a +2 bonus to Fortitude and Will. You can give the stone golem the following special commands:
Slam (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence vs. Reflex; 1d10 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Barbed Burst (standard, daily) - Close burst 1; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 2d10 + Intelligence modifier damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 damage (save ends).
Special: You can use a magic weapon or an unequipped piece of magic armor with a daily power as a focus for this ability. If you do, the golem is created with one use of that daily power. If the golem uses this power, it does not count towards your total allowment of daily magic item powers.

Spoiler: Utility 16

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Ghost Mark Necromancer Utility 16
You wave your hand, and your ally's mark invigorates him with the zeal of the dead,
Daily - Shadow
Immediate Reaction
Trigger: An ally marks an enemy
Range 10
Target: The triggering ally
Effect: Your ally gains an action point that it must use against the target it marked before the mark ends. In addition, your ally can use 2 action points during this encounter instead of 1,

Life from Death Necromancer Utility 16
Your minions drop dead, and you use the animus powering their bones to preserve your ally's lifeforce.
Daily - Healing, Shadow
Range 10
Target: One ally
Effect: Each minion you control is reduced to 0 hit points, and your ally regain hit points as if it had spent that many healing surges,

Living Wall Necromancer Utility 16
A grotesque structure built from the animated dead arises before you, the limbs and torsos inexorably linked together to form an amalgamation of horror.
Daily - Conjuration, Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Area wall 8 within 10
Effect: You conjure a wall that consists of contiguous squares filled with the living dead. The wall can be up to 8 squares long and 4 squares high. If any creature starts or moves adjacent to the wall during its turn, you may make an opportunity attack using your Intelligence modifier against the creature. On a hit, the target is grabbed. The wall may grab a number of creatures equal to the number of spaces it occupies. The wall provides superior cover and blocks line of sight.
Sustain minor: The wall remains and all grabs are sustained.

Spoiler: Encounter 17

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Bone Spear Necromancer Attack 17
You fire a spiritual spear of pure bone at your enemy, which pierces both his body and his soul, locking it in place in every dimension.
Encounter - Implement, Necrotic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is restrained and loses the insubstantial quality until the end of your next turn.

Enervation Necromancer Attack 17
By draining the life-force of your enemies, you are able to temporary hasten your allies onto victory.
Encounter - Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Close burst 3
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier psychic damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn. Each ally in the burst gets a +4 bonus to their movement speed until the end of your next turn.
Coven of Execrations: The bonus to movement speed is equal to your Charisma modifier.

Raise Wraith Necromancer Attack 17
You call to the spirit realm, and a shadowy figure seems to pull itself between worlds, angry for vengeance.
Encounter - Conjuration, Implement, Shadow
Minor
Close burst 10
Target: One unoccupied square within range
Effect: You conjure a medium wraith. The wraith has fly speed 6 (hover), phasing, and has the following actions available to it:
Shadow Touch (standard, encounter) - Melee 1; Intelligence vs. Reflex; 3d6 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of your next turn.
Claw (standard, melee basic attack) - Intelligence + 2 vs. AC; 1d8 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage.
Covenant of Conjurations: If the wraith would normally die as a result of taking damage, make a saving throw. On a success, the wraith does not die.
Sustain minor: The wraith remains.

[UrielAwakened]

Continued...

Spoiler: Paragon Path - Undead Bane

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Undead Bane
"I am both the creator and the destroyer. I don't want them bonded in shackles, I want them buried in graves."
Prerequisite: Necromancer, any divine class

You have a most troubling choice of careers. You have learned how to bend the undead to your every whim, yet they are the biggest affront to your existence on this or any other plane. Nevertheless, they say fight fire with fire, and perhaps that is the best strategy for dealing with such abominations. Maybe you have some great vendetta against a particularly powerful lich or death knight, maybe you simply abhor all undead creations. To you, the undead are vile, your own servants doubly so.
After years of careful study, you have examined every possible method of killing the monstrosities, and have thoroughly concluded that an unlimited horde can only be properly fought by an equally unlimited horde. You have even learned how to blend divine energies with magic from the Shadowfell, and the result is a terrifying force that will cause even the greatest of the undead to fall to their knees in recognition of your power.

Undead Bane Path Features:

Necrotic Resilience (11th level): You gain necrotic resistance equal to one-half of your level. If you already have necrotic resistance, it increases by 5.

Unholy Fervor (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, each minion that you control can make a basic attack against an undead creature as a free action.

Divine Shadows (16th level): Whenever you attack an undead creature with a power that has the Shadow keyword, you can add the Radiant keyword to the power as a free action. The power does radiant damage in addition to any other damage types.

Undead Bane Hexes:

Blacklight Undead Bane Attack 11
You fire a ray of curious, shimmering black energy at your opponent, temporarily searing their eyes.
Encounter - Implement, Radiant, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6 + Intelligence modifier radiant damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Special: If there is an undead enemy alive within 10 squares of you at the start of your turn, you regain use of this power.

Drawn from the Grave Undead Bane Utility 12
You draw on the energies of the Shadowfell powering the foul creatures around you in order to fuel your own abilities.
Daily - Healing, Shadow
Minor
Personal
Effect: You spend a healing surge and regain bonus hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier. You also regain the use of one encounter attack power with the Shadow keyword. If there is at least one undead enemy within 10 squares of you, you regain the use of one daily attack power with the Shadow keyword instead.

Command Undead Undead Bane Attack 20
Your radiance and glory become apparent to all of tainted creation, and the undead fall before you like lambs to the slaughter.
Daily - Charm, Implement, Radiant, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One undead creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier radiant damage, and the target is dominated (save ends). While dominated, the target has a +4 bonus to attack rolls against undead creatures, and deals radiant damage.
Miss: Half-damage, and the target is dominated until the end of your next turn.

Spoiler: Paragon Path - Fearmonger

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Fearmonger
"Do you fear death, peasant?"
Prerequisite: Necromancer, trained in Intimidate, Shadow Word class feature

--flavor--

Fearmonger Path Features:

Unpleasant Countenance (11th level): You gain a permanent +4 bonus to Intimidate checks.

Hatetful Presence (11th level): Any creature ending its turn adjacent to you takes a -2 penalty to all of its defenses until the end of its next turn.

On Second Thought (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, choose one enemy you can see. That enemy cannot move closer to you until the end of your next turn.

Fearful Word (16th level): Your Shadow Word class feature gains the Fear keyword. Whenever you use Shadow Word, choose one enemy in the burst. That enemy moves its move speed away from you as a free action, avoiding difficult terrain and unsafe squares if possible. This movement provokes opportunity attacks.

Fearmonger Hexes:

Fearmonger Attack 11
You
Encounter - Implement, Psychic, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit:

Paralyzing Gaze Fearmonger Utility 12
You stare down a foe, and for a moment, they are gazing into the abyss.
Daily - Fear, Shadow
Minor
Range 10
Target: One enemy you can see
Effect: Make an Intimidate check against the enemy. The target does not need to be able to understand you in order for you to make the check. This check ignores any bonus the enemy would normally gain for being unfriendly or hostile. If you succeed, the enemy is dazed until the end of your next turn and takes a -4 penalty to the next attack it makes. This ability cannot be used to force an enemy to surrender.

Fearmonger Attack 20
Your
Daily - Charm, Implement, Radiant, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One undead creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
Hit:

Spoiler: Paragon Path - Puppetmaster

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Puppetmaster
"I see the strings that control us all, my friend. Yours is awfully short, I'm afraid, but there's an opening in my macabre production. Consider this your audition."
Prerequisite: Necromancer, Coven of Conjurations class feature.

They say all the world's a stage, but who says the show must end in death? To you, minions are mindless playthings, dancing across a battlefield like performers in a play. You treat them like extras, and if they happen to miss a cue, they're entirely replaceable. Rather than be concerned about their fates, you march them across the battlefield, providing cover for your allies and hitting your enemy where they're most vulnerable. No matter how overwhelming the odds or suicidal the mission, you expect no backtalk, and indeed, you'll get none.
Your continued training in the arts of manipulating the undead has given you the ability to more hastily raise the creatures to do your bidding. Much like a child eventually finds tying their shoes second-nature, you've almost developed a sort of linked consciousness between you and your creations, allowing you a greater amount of control and flexibility in your commands. Your minions have developed a faster eye, a swifter form, and a greater tenacity in accomplishing themselves on the field of battle.

Puppetmaster Path Features:

Quickened Summoning (11th level): Whenever you roll initiative, you may immediately use Raise Skeleton as a free action.

Strategic Mindset (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, any enemy adjacent to one of your minions grants combat advantage to you and your allies until the end of your next turn.

Double Step (16th level): You may move two minions with a single move action.

Puppetmaster Hexes:

Legion Strike Undead Bane Attack 11
Your undead horde, unified for but a moment, unleashes the full fury it once possessed in life.
Encounter – Shadow
Standard
Effect: Each minion you control makes a basic attack against a creature within its reach.

Animus Life Puppetmaster Utility 12
You force your ally to rise once more, dancing on the battlefield to suite your needs.
Encounter - Shadow
Range 10
Target: One ally that is dying.
Effect: The target is no longer dying. It stands with 0 hit points and temporary hit points equal to its healing surge value + your Intelligence modifier. It is dazed until it loses these temporary hit points. When it has no more temporary hit points remaining, it falls prone and continues dying.

Hivemind Puppetmaster Attack 20
Your allies seem to sync with your mindset, and, by association, that of your undead minions. Together, they fight as one.
Daily - Implement, Shadow
Immediate Reaction
Close burst 10
Trigger: An ally makes an attack against a creature within reach of one of your minions.
Effect: Your minion makes a basic attack against the creature. Until the end of the encounter, whenever an ally makes an attack against a creature within reach of one of your minons, that minion may make a basic attack as an immediate reaction.

Spoiler: Paragon Path - Soul Reaper

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Soul Reaper
"."

Prerequisite: Necromancer

Soul Reaper Path Features:

Scythe Expertise (11th level): You can use scythes as implements for your Necromancer and Soul Reaper powers. In addition, when wielding a scythe, you can use your intelligence modifier to make opportunity attacks.

Soul Steal (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, choose one enemy within 10 squares. You steal a portion of that enemy's soul and graft it onto one of your conjurations.

(16th level):

Soul Reaper Hexes:

Soul Reaper Attack 11

Encounter - Implement, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs.
Hit:

Soul Reaper Utility 12

Daily - Shadow
Minor
Personal
Effect:

Soul Reaper Attack 20

Daily - Implement, Shadow
Standard
Range 10
Target: One undead creature
Attack: Intelligence vs.
Hit:

Spoiler: Feats

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Feats:

Rigor Mortis
Prerequisites: Con 13, Necromancer
Benefits: Your conjurations and summons gain a +1 bonus to all defenses.

Combat Mentality
Prerequisites: Int 13, Necromancer
Benefits: Your minions can provide flanking.

Shadow Healing
Prerequisites: 11th level, Necromancer
Benefits: Whenever you let a creature spend a healing surge with a power that has the shadow keyword, it gains concealment until the end of your next turn.

Spirited Healing
Prerequisites: 11th level, Necromancer
Benefits: Your Shadow Word grants temporary hit points to the original target, as well as a secondary target within the burst.

Improved Coven of Conjurations
Prerequisites: 11th level, Con 15, Necromancer
Benefits: Creatures summoned with your shadow powers that have the summoning keyword are created with 10 + ½ your level temporary hit points.

Improved Coven of Execrations
Prerequisites: 11th level, Cha 15, Necromancer
Benefits: When you use your coven of execrations class feature, if the creature still saves it takes damage equal to 10 + your Charisma modifier.

Exploding Corpses
Prerequisites: 11th level, Con 15, Necromancer
Benefits: When your conjurations are reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, each enemy adjacent to the conjuration takes damage equal to your Constitution modifier.

Necromancer Implement Expertise
Prerequisites: 21st level, Con 15, Int 21, Cha 15, Necromancer
Benefits: When you wield a necromancer implement while using a shadow power, you and your minions can score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20.

Spoiler: Implements

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Items:

Magic Skull
A simple skull, enchanted with the energy of the Shadowfell.
Lvl 1 +1 360 gp Lvl 16 +4 45,000 gp
Lvl 6 +2 1,800 gp Lvl 21 +5 225,000 gp
Lvl 11 +3 9,000 gp Lvl 26 +6 1,125,000 gp
Implement (Skull)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus

Kobold Skull
A small, dragon-shaped skull, still grinning with mischief.
Lvl 2 +1 520 gp Lvl17 +4 65,000 gp
Lvl 7 +2 2,600 gp Lvl 22 +5 325,000 gp
Lvl 12 +3 13,000 gp Lvl 27 +6 1,625,000 gp
Implement (Skull)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: If two or more of your minons are adjacent to the same target, they get a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
Power (Encounter): Minor action. You or an ally you can see can shift 1 square.

Goblin Skull
The jaw of this green-tinted humanoid skull still seems to be scowling in anger.
Lvl 3 + 1,680 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Implement (Skull)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: If two or more of your minions are adjacent to the same target, they get a bonus to damage rolls equal to the skull's enhancement bonus.
Power (Encounter): Immediate reaction, when you or an ally you can see is missed by a melee attack. The target shifts 1 square.

Human Skull
This human skull still seems to glow with unearthly determination, even in death.
Lvl 3 + 1,680 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp
Implement (Skull)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Power (Daily): Free action. Whenever an ally fails a saving throw, you grant them a reroll with a bonus equal to the skull's enhancement bonus.

Drake Skull
The razor sharp teeth of this long-jawed skull seem hungry for blood.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Implement (Skull)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d10 damage per plus
Power (Encounter) Minor action. You grant an ally combat advantage to their next attack roll, and that ally grants combat advantage to the next attack made against it until the end of your next turn.

Elven Skull
The high cheeks of this skull distinguishes it from that of other humanoids.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Implement (Skull)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Power (Daily): Immediate reaction, whenever an ally that you can see misses with an attack. You grant them a reroll to the attack.

[Hawk7915]

That's a solid start, Uriel, and while there's some individual powers that seem a bit out of whack I want to focus more on the "big picture" of Necromancer.

1. Leader makes a lot of sense, with your undead doing a sort of "off-tanking" to save an ally's health and boost them. Sort of a darker Shadow Shaman.

2. I like the Covenants. Having your build choice grant different boons to allies adjacent to your undead minions is good stuff. It makes further sense to me that no matter what role is primary out of Leader, Controller, or Defender for a Necromancer, the other two roles will be plausible secondaries depending on build.

3. Your Necromancer is minor-action starved in a bad way. He needs minor actions to: raise dead, move dead, heal allies, and that's before we even talk about sustaining zones or other powers. This makes it really hard to have more than two undead active, which is contrary to the idea of having a horde of zombies or skeletons. As a result, I think that instinctive actions are a must on undead. As it stands in your build just looking through it, there was 0 incentive to ever learn an Encounter Summon power, because the power for action difference between it and a Skeleton wasn't noticeable enough compared to just taking a strong personal power or summoning Skeletons and spamming at-wills.

4. Related to the above, if the dead are going to have instinctive actions, they can't be summoned at-will. They likely need another resource besides power slots if we're going to do a horde. As discussed above, this could be Healing Surges, or a separate pool of resources.

As a Leader class, I like the idea of a Necromancer "pooling" surges, like a Artificer. They use these to make "Soul Shards" which can be used to create Undead, or to heal and enhance a character. Creating undead is still an at-will power, but you need a certain amount of shards (1-4) to summon things, and it is considered a ritual so it's done out of combat (utilities might let you do it on the fly, or dismiss them to regain Soul Shards/do cool stuff).

[Yakk]

What if instead of "soul shards" or "shadow surges", the resource was just "souls".

The necromancer fuels their undead with actual souls. That is what makes the necromancer a necromancer -- their magic is fueled with actual souls.

This admits the possibility of a non-undead summoning necromancer; they are still a necromancer. They still fuel their powers with souls.

Maybe the souls they have bound can be exhasted, and recharged by consuming (their own, or others) healing surges.

In fact, what if souls can be bound (to animate undead or other effects), exhasted (require resources to recover -- rests, healing surges, etc) and available.

Bound souls become a limit on how many effects (undead minions, etc) that the necromancer can "have active" at one time. If/when undead drop, some of the souls become exhasted, others become available.

The available souls can then be used to fuel other necromancer powers.

So the necromancer typical power curve is:
You start with souls Bound to long-standing effects (undead minions or other).

As the fight goes on, those Bound souls escape (your minions are killed, or your effects fire off).

Some of the Bound souls freed in combat become Available, others become Exhausted.

You can consume your Available souls to create in-combat effects (reducing the power drop-off effect I mentioned above), which Exhausts them.

You can also convert Exhausted souls to Available through various methods (like a utility power that burns your own healing surges).

The idea is to flatten your power flux a bit. Each of your Souls gets up to 2 uses in a combat; first, as a Bound soul, then (some) as an Available soul.

It is even possible to enter combat with Available souls; say, for example, you don't have corpses to generate undead, and your Soul Bindings are all animate dead based.

...

Hmm. This mini-game might be overly complex.

Still, it gives a home to create a class with a horde of undead without action economy balance problems. Your bound soul limit budget determines your horde size, and bigger undead require more souls to animate (and hit harder).

non-Animator necromancers can work with this framework. They could bind souls to (for example) their own (Deathknight-fluff) or allies (a Artificer-fluff like, but necromancer based) gear. Or bind ghostly spirits (shaman-fluff like, but necromancer based).

If undead are actually animated with bound souls, that also explains why most consider it evil. It isn't just "making corpses move", it is trapping the soul of some creature on this plane as a tool to animate a corpse.

This matches 5e Lich fluff (4e was a bit vague) where they have to consume the souls of innocents to stay undead: the Lich is a self-animating necromancer.

[Hawk7915]

So, perhaps adapting your own list:

Souls:
Level 1:3 souls available, 1 Bound
Level 5: 4 souls available, 2 Bound
Level 11: 6 souls available, 4 bound
Level 15: 7 souls available, 5 bound
Level 21: 9 available, 7 bound
Level 25: 10 available, 8 bound

You can't boost this via items, but I imagine a feat might grant more souls Available while certain PPs might give additional Bound slots that are limited to certain functions. Souls are exhausted once the thing they are bound to dies/is used/expires or when an active one is consumed to fuel an effect. They are regained on a Long Rest, although they can also be regained via utilities, and possibly by burning Surges. Certain class features may also allow a "bound' slot to give back an "available" soul when consumed instead (for example, the "Undead Commander" Class Feature may say that you get half your souls rounded up back when a summoned, bound monster dies, while the "Lichlord" path might give active souls back when used to create THPs or buffs, while a "Shadow Blaster" class feature might give an active soul back if an attack that consumes souls Crits)

Souls can be Bound to hand out buffs a la artificer, create a "Resistive Formula" style mountain of THPs, or of course to create undead in the method you mentioned earlier E.g. binding one soul can fuel two minion Skeletons, or one normal zombie. At level 25, you can use all your bound slots in one go to animate a colossal dragon or something similarly epic and awesome.

[georgie_leech]

Would/How would these Souls interact with Power Recharge mechanics?

[Hawk7915]

Would/How would these Souls interact with Power Recharge mechanics?

I don't use Psionics but I figure that, like Power Points, most recharge effects don't work although some specific feats/powers/paragon paths would make more souls Available. The Necromancer will still have a full range of encounters and dailies to gain the benefit of recharge effects. Probably stuff like...

Soul Collector
Prerequisite: 11th level Necromancer, Cha 15
Benefit: Once per encounter when you score a critical hit or deal fatal damage to a creature, you gain a Soul that is available for use.

[Tegu8788]

For completeness, I'll throw mine in. It's not nearly as complete, but I, totally unbiasedly, think that it has some good mechanics in it. Particularly the commanding aspect. Use or discard whatever is useful.

Spoiler: Class Traits

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Role: Controller/Leader.
Power Source: Arcane/Shadow.
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Charisma, Constitution

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, quarterstaff, sickle, scythe.
Implement: Orbs, staffs, wands, tomes
Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Will.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10+ Constitution Score.
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4
Healing Surges per Day: 6+ Constitution Modifier.

Trained Skills: Arcana. From the class skills list below, choose 3 more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Religion (Int).

Spoiler: Class features

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Deadly Implement
You can use any weapon you are proficient as an implement you are proficient with. As such, a sickle you wield can have an orb enchantment placed upon it. You do not gain weapon proficiency bonus when making implement attacks with such a weapon, though you do gain the enhancement bonus for both weapon and implement attacks.

Necromancer Cantrips
Choose two Wizard Cantrips and gain them.

Bring Out Your Dead
You possess the ability to raise the dead.

Bring Out Your Dead Wizard Feature
You turn the ashes of the long dead into a soldier to do your bidding.
At-Will * Arcane
Standard Action Close Burst 5
Target: One square within the burst.
Effect: You summon one Zombie.
Special: You can only use this power once per turn.

Zombie
It has no intelligence, relying purely on your commands. It is an extension of your will, and without you, it can do nothing. They don’t last for very long, falling apart at the end of each encounter.

Spoiler: Zombie

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Medium natural animate (undead, summoned)
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. Initiative equal to yours
AC 14 + your level, Fortitude 9 + your level, Reflex Your Reflex, Will Your Will Perception none
Speed 4
Immune disease, poison
Standard Actions
Bash (!) (weapon) At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: Intelligence modifier damage.
Rib Throw (!) (weapon) At-Will
Attack: Range 10/20 (one creature); +Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: Intelligence modifier damage.
Grab (weapon) At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: The target is grabbed (escape DC equals your Will).
Bite (weapon) At-Will (target must be grabbed)
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); 3+Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage.
Move Actions
Move At-Will
Effect: The zombie stands up, crawls, shifts 1, climbs, or walks its speed. It cannot run.
Triggered Actions
Explode * Encounter
Trigger: The Zombie is reduced to 0 HP.
Attack: Burst 1 (all creatures); +Intelligence vs Fortitude
Hit: Intelligence modifier damage.
Effect: The burst creates a zone of difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.
Str (16) Dex (12) Wis (-)
Con (8) Int (-) Cha (-)
Alignment - Languages -

Hearty Minions
You may keep a number of zombies up to your Charisma modifier through a rest. You may also spend a surge at the end of the rest to maintain an additional zombie per surge.

Commanding Minions
You can command a Zombie to make an At-Will Attack using a Minor Action, but a Zombie can only make one attack per turn this way. When you take a Move Action, all of your Zombies can take their individual Move Actions. Immediate and Opportunity actions require Immediate and Opportunity actions to be spent, respectively. By spending a Standard Action you can command a Zombie to take a Standard Action. You also gain the following powers, which you gain additional uses of as you level up. Giving a Zombie a command does not provoke opportunity attacks. If an effect has a Zombie spend a healing surge, you spend the surge instead.

Spoiler: Necromancer Commands

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As You Wish Wizard Attack
You instruct your army, and it obeys your command.
Encounter Arcane, Shadow, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Close Burst 10
Effect: Choose one of the following.
* Summon 2/3/4 Zombies.
* 3/4/5 different Zombies may make Standard Action attacks.
* 2/3/4 Zombies can use their Encounter power.
* One Zombie is destroyed without triggering it's encounter power, and you gain THP equal to half your healing surge value.

At Your Command Wizard Attack
You command your army, and it obeys your every whim.
Daily Arcane, Shadow, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Close Burst 10
Effect: Choose one of the following.
* Summon 4/6/8 zombies.
* 5/7/9 different zombies may make Standard Action attacks.
* 3/4/5 zombies can use their Encounter power.
* Two Zombies are destroyed without triggering their encounter power, and you gain a healing surge that you may spend as a free action.

Necromantic Focus
Are you cocky, self assured that you really have complete control of your many zombies, or are you more focused on keeping something sturdy between yourself and your enemies? Select two of the following powers and gain them.

Spoiler: Necromancer Focuses

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Save Me Wizard Attack
You command a zombie to take your place in battle.
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt Close Burst 2
Target: One Zombie within the burst
Trigger: You are hit by an attack.
Effect: You can shift two squares, and one Zombie within the burst can shift into your empty square. That Zombie then takes the hit instead of you. You grant CA until the end of your next turn.

Hurt Them Wizard Attack
You command a zombies to lash out.
At-will
Immediate Reaction Close Burst 10
Target: Zombies up to half your level plus your Intelligence modifier within the burst.
Trigger: One of your Zombies is provoked into making an Opportunity Attack.
Effect: Each Zombie can also make an Opportunity Attack if provoked.

Be Strong Wizard Attack
You channel life force into your creation.
Encounter
Minor Action Close Burst 10
Target: Each Zombie within the burst
Effect: You spend a healing surge, but regain no HP. Instead, each Zombie in the burst gains Resist All equal to half your surge value until the end of your next turn.

The mechanics are fairly straight-forward, and even just gaining additional uses of the same encounter and daily power, given their flexibility, should provide an engaging play-style. Utilities are immobilized and slowing zones, yet to be designed. The other thing I'd add would be something akin to Stances, giving possibly damage buffs, speed buffs, survival buffs, and other stuff.

[Hawk7915]

Nice Tegu. The zombies seem too have too many options but that seems like a solid hordemaster Necromancer.

I think we should take a step back and figure out some basic questions though as we move forward on creating this class...

1) Does it need to be a full fledged class? Is it possible to upgrade the existing Necromancer, or create a new subclass for Wizard, Cleric, or Warlock instead? A full class is a back-breaking amount of work, the equivalent of 3 or 4 new classes for 3.5 or 5th edition, and is frequently not necessary.

2) If the answer to #1 is "yes", are we hoping to design an Essentials class (Dailies and Utilities but no encounters - instead at-wills and a set encounter power that scales), or are we angling for a PHB1, 2, and 3-style class with a full battery of powers?

3) Regardless of those choices, we should then decide on a role for the class (Leader seems to be a dominant option) and a power source (Divine, Arcane, and Shadow seem like equal splits).

4) And from there, we need to ask: what "schtick" do we want this class to fulfill mechanically that will make it sufficiently different from any existing leader? That's easy enough here with Summoning, but we need to see how those summons interact with standard Leader duties (buffing, enabling, self-durability, heals and status removal) and what strengths we want to emphasize on this class. Leader has almost as many options as Striker and even "summons" is somewhat infringed on by a Sentinel Druid, so we need to think carefully about how to carve a niche for a new Leader class.

[Tegu8788]

Agreed. And I'll also be the first to admit that I'm not thinking of 3.5 necromancers as much as the more common depiction of a necromancer. For a quantity over quality, quality over quantity, and for death knight, these are my thoughts.

1) I would say yes, based off the Wizard class, though I see merit for the Warlock. Death Knight could be a Cleric variant, perhaps a Battle Cleric Lore type feature for the Necromancer. Possibly a new subbuild from the Wizard, but it has to deal with changes with existing Necromancer stuff.

2) I'd vote Essentials, because it is incredibly easier. It's also an easier to slip in feats and utilities from a parent class.

3) A Controller has no real features, while a Leader relies on it's powers and it's features. Also admitting that I'm a hybrid lover, I don't see why we don't make a Controller with a healing feature. Somewhere between the Bard and Sentinel. We need movement to move minions around, and whether that's Leader type movement, or Controller type movement, I don't care. We also need life stealing. Whether that's a Controller Debuff or a Leader Buff, we are toeing the line here. There aren't any Controller sub Leader, so I say we do that. Plus, the Death Knight subbuild does not feel like a Leader to me.

For power source, it's obviously Arcane and Shadow, to me.

4) Minion master would be a new shtick. For a single big summon, the Sentinel is more important than it's pet, so I say we reverse that. And for Death Knight type, having a melee Controller, albeit able to cover multiple places on the board, would certainly be different.

[Yakk]

More spit-design about the soul-based Necromancer.

I'm thinking of stealing the at-will and encounter power budget for Necromancer Souls.

Necromancer Soul Reservoir size:
Level 1: 3
Level 3: 4
Level 7: 5
Level 13: 6
Level 17: 7
Level 21: 8
Level 23: 9
Level 27: 10

Souls can be Bound, Reserved in the Reservoir, or Depleted.

There are Bindings and Hexes. Bindings take Souls in her Reservoir and imbue them into a persistent effect (like an animated corpse).

When the persistent effect ends, the Necromancer can try to Recover the soul from being Depleted. (Roll a 4+ on a d6?)

Depleted souls recover on short rests and rejoin the Reservoir. If we feel mean, maybe it also requires a healing surge per Depleted soul Recovered this way.

---

Necromancer per-encounter Hexes consume her Reservoir.

---

I'm thinking sub-Wizard HP, but some ability to reactively deplete souls to protect yourself. And maybe a mechanic where you can Bind souls as a defensive+offensive buff.

---

The core mechanic I'm thinking is a standard action that activates all of your Bindings (and they do their "thing"), plus you get one "boost"ed action of some sort. The "boosted" action is either minor (at-will), or bigger (encounter limited, Depletes Reserved souls).

---

Maybe 3 kinds of Bindings:
Animations (creates summon-like undead from creatures)
Fetishes (imbues an object, like a sword or a wand, with an attack ability)
Voodoo (imbues a creature with an ability or effect)
Spirits (captures a primal spirit to do your bidding)

Bindings can be done in combat? Maybe the necromancer gets a per-encounter utility power to do so as a class feature, so you can do 1 binding/encounter? And other bindings are short-rest ish.

You can have sub-builds with the special ability to do one or another kind of binding during combat.

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           Souls    Damage     Damage/Soul Z  Attribute     Enhance   Other
  Level 1:   3       12.5       2.5        5     4             0        1
  Level 3:   4       17.5       2.9        6     4             1        1
  Level 7:   5       27.5       4.1        7     4             2        1
  Level 13:  6       42.5       5.4       10     5             3        2
  Level 17:  7       52.5       5.8       12     6             4        2
  Level 21:  8       62.5       5.9       15     7             5        3
  Level 23:  9       67.5       5.8       15     7             5        3
  Level 27: 10       77.5       6.2       16     7             6        3
  Level 30: 10       85.0       6.8       17     8             6        3

So, your [S] damage is:

d4 from level 1-5
d6 from level 6-10
d8 from level 11-15
d10 from level 16-20
d12 from level 21-25
2d6 from level 26-30

Your attack bonus is (Level+3).

Your undead have a proficinecy bonus of +2.

As a standard action, you can activate your entire Horde. All of your Horde actions go off. By default, they are Level+3 vs AC attacks unless otherwise noted, plus any proficiency bonus. Multiple attacks agianst the same target are resolved as one hit (with damage dice added up). If multiple auras overlap on one target, use the higher damage expression. Add your implement/attribute damage on top (once per target).

Undead Minions: 1 HP each. Horde Aura 1: [S] damage if it hits.

1 soul animates 2 minions.

Undead Thralls: Bound with 1 soul each. Your healing surge value HP each. Horde damage: [S].

Undead Elites: Bound with 2 souls each. Your bloodied value HP each. Horde damage: 2[S]. MBA: 1[S]

Undead Solos: Bound with 4 souls each. Your full HP each. Horde damage: 4[S]. MBA: 2[S]

Darkflame blade: Soul imbued weapon. Bound with 2 souls. Horde attack: Melee 1 vs AC, deals 2[S] fire and necrotic damage, the foe is marked, and grants you stat+level/2 temporary HP. Also grants a basic melee attack with same stats. (issue: light-blade optimal?)

Bone Fetish: Soul imbued implement. Bound with 2 souls. Horde attack: Range 10 vs AC, deals 2[S] cold and necrotic damage and slows in a burst 1 including target. Grants a basic ranged attack with same stats. (issue: holy symbol optimal?)

Soul Armor: Soul imbued armor. Bound with 2 souls. As a reaction to being attacked, Close vs Fortitude. Deals 2[S] necrotic damage, and the damage of the attack is halved. (issue: separate damage expression. On the other hand, requires something beyond your control (you are attacked)).

Zombie Grasp + Depletes 1 Soul, Encounter, Necromancer 1
Effect: A creature hit by one of your undead is grabbed by it. While the grabbed persists, as the start of its turn it takes [S] necrotic damage.

Transfer Life + Depletes 1 Soul, Encounter, Necromancer 1
Trigger: You deal necrotic damage to a creature
Effect: You take half the triggering damage. An ally of yours within close burst 5 gains an equal amount of temporary HP. The next time that ally deals damage to a creature, they deal an extra [S] necrotic damage.

Blackest Dispair + Depletes 3 Souls, Encounter, Necromancer 7
Trigger: You deal necrotic damage to a creature
Effect: A close burst zone 3 is created including that creature that lasts until the end of your next turn. This zone is lightly obscured and difficult terrain. Creatures who end their turn in that zone take 3[S] damage.
Sustain: Minor, plus Deplete 1 Soul.

Juggernaut + Depletes 4 Souls, Encounter, Necromancer 17
Trigger: One of your undead takes or deals damage
Effect: The triggering creature becomes an abomination until the end of your next turn. It gains one size category and gains temporary HP equal to your full HP value. When it takes damage, you can choose to take half of it as a free action. It gains a horde aura 1 with a damage of 4[S].
Sustain: Minor, plus Depletes 1 Soul.

...

Builds:
Deathknight. Upgrades to Darkflame blade/Soul armor (for more souls), and a mark-punishment ability. Zombie Thralls gain 1[S] MBA, and Elites and Solos get +1[S] on their MBA. Maybe ability to consume bound souls for temporary HP? Ability to target self with powers that usually are reserved for your undead?

Doctor of Death: Can bind extra souls on one undead abomination.

Hordemaster: Some bonus that makes larger hordes more practical. Maybe improved soul recovery when undead die?

Sangumage: Some bonus on depleting souls for effects.


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Sanity check. At level 30, doing 20d6+Attribute single target damage as a standard action (with all souls bound).

That is ~87 damage prior to optimization.

A level 30 creature has ~264 HP. So if everything hits, that is 1/3 of the creature's HP roughly.

Once bound souls dissappate (as zombies die), you can deplete the souls to deal damage again. I was probably overly conservative about how well they convert from souls -> damage above; the effects are one off, while the damage expressions match the *sustained* damage that a bound soul can do. Probably too paranoid about damage spikes.

[Yakk]

Design thoughts:
Builds with roles.

4 HP/level, but temporary HP mechanism baked in.

One defender build:
Death Knight gains proficiency with soul imbued armor and weapons for free, and +1 HP/level, a Marking mechanic, and a lifesteal ability (via soul imbued weapon).

Two controller builds:

Hordemaster gets some mechanism to better recover souls expended their undead, and a way to expend undead on-the-fly to power hexes.

Channeller build gets some mechanism to better recover souls expended by hexes, allowing more efficient hexing.

Alternatively, Channeller can be striker build. Can use imbued gear with "free" hex upgrades as striker feature?

One leader build:
Leader build imbues allies equipment with abilities, as opposed to self.

You roll one attack/target, and hit miss once. You combine the effects of the "attack components" (so if you have a [S] vs Will and a 2[S] vs AC, you roll 3[S] vs Will) for game evaluation speed. This also prevents "multitap" damage exploits (which would otherwise dominate).

[Tegu8788]

I say that's all good. A single class that can be a Striker, Defender, Leader, and Controller certainly appeals to me.

[ThePurple]

I say that's all good. A single class that can be a Striker, Defender, Leader, and Controller certainly appeals to me.

As I see it, the problem with that is that you're basically creating 4 classes at one time and calling them all Necromancer while simultaneously forcing them to share virtually all of their powers (which doesn't really work since controllers are basically defined by their powers while defenders and strikers basically just have +dam).

Personally, I think that the best baseline to use for creating a necromancer would be the Sentinel Druid from Essentials. It would provide the necromancer with a permanent, useful well designed pet (wolf option basically becoming a skeleton and bear option basically becoming a zombie) which is, I think, the primary schtick that's missing from the existing Necromancer options (if you want to play a "rays of death" style necromancer, the Necromancer Wizard variant works quite well).

As such, the primary work then devolves into figuring out how to tweak the relevant class features into something appropriately necromancer-y (beyond really simple stuff of making it use Int as primary ability score and Wis/Cha as secondary ability score which is just cut and paste kinda stuff).

Starting from the top, with the Class Traits, it's probably okay for a necromancer leader to be made of more durable stuff than a necromancer controller so I don't see a problem with using the HP and Healing Surges of the Sentinel since those are both leader standard. The bonus to defenses should probably be +1 Fort and +1 Will or +2 Will, both of which make equal sense in my mind. As such, I'll make it a +1 Will and then allow the player to choose whether they want the extra +1 Fort or +1 Will with a class feature later on.

For armor proficiencies, a necromancer should, most definitely, be in cloth with no shields, which is fine because a necromancer should also not be a melee fighter like a Sentinel Druid so their armor should be commensurately worse to compensate. Weapon proficiencies should probably just be simple melee (which does provide access to both the scythe and the sickle).

For implement proficiencies, staff is a definite must; I also like the idea of rods and orbs, but I don't see them getting both. Furthermore, some people are definitely going to want to use sickles and scythes. Both of those problems turn into an opportunity to further tweak the aforementioned class feature: necromancers could get staff and rod by default with a class feature that then allows them to choose between getting to use sickles and scythes as implements or getting to use orbs as implements.

For class skills, I see Arcana, Bluff, Endurance, Heal, History, Intimidate, and Religion. For their trained skills, 4 total is the expected amount, and, honestly, they should probably get either Arcana or Religion trained. Since we're talking about another thematic disconnect, I would argue that the Arcana or Religion question be answered by the class feature choice previously mentioned. As such, players are listed as only getting 3 trained skills from their list because they'll get an additional one later on as a class feature.

So the Class Traits list looks something like this:

Hit Points: 12 + Con score at start, gain 5 with each additional level
Bonus to Defenses: +1 Will
Healing Surges: 7 + Con mod
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee
Implement Proficiencies: Staff and rod
Class Skills: Arcana, Bluff, Endurance, Heal, History, Intimidate, and Religion.
Trained Skills: Three from the list of class skills.

Now we get into the meat of the class, with the class features.

The first thing to address is the aforementioned class feature that is going to govern some of the missing portions of the class traits, namely a bonus to defenses, additional implements, and a trained skill. All in all, that seems like a reasonably well rounded class feature so I don't really see the need to add more to it. I'm not feeling particularly creative with names at the moment, so we'll call it "Acolyte of Life and Death" since we're basing it off of Sentinel Druid and all.

Acolyte of the Life and Death
Choose one of the following:
-You gain training in Religion, a +1 bonus to Fort, and can use sickles and scythes as implements
-You gain training in Arcana, a +1 bonus to Will, and can use orbs as implements

The next thing is the undead companion/servant. While Sentinel Druid tied it to the previously chosen class feature, personally, I think that players should be able to pick one independent of the other. We're also talking about creating an undead servant that becomes more powerful as you do which suggests to me that the player should be able to pick which undead servant they want to use during any rest in which they have a medium sized corpse around. For simplicity's sake, we'll just do a straight copy of the wolf, as skeleton, and bear, as zombie, animal companions. If there's really a problem with the theme of their auras or their defense, it shouldn't be too hard to change it up.

Because necromancer is going to be using Int as its primary ability modifier, there's no need for a class feature to allow for a different ability modifier for AC so we can skip Primal Guardian.

Combined Attack works very well as a leader power though, as I'll get to later, I don't see Necromancers as being exclusively melee fighters. As such, we'll need to change the range to match what we choose for the other powers.

Now we get to the one thing that most defines the leader role: Healing Word. I would argue that they really shouldn't use the default Healing Word since that doesn't really have a necromancer-style feel to it: necromancers restore life by draining it from somewhere else. Normally, this would suggest requiring an attack in order to fuel the Healing Word, but there's another option. I *really* like the "healing surge credit card" approach that Artificer took, and it definitely involves draining life from someone in order to give that life to someone else, which is an appropriately necromancer-style element, so I kind of want to go with that. The problem is that the credit card element definitely provides a distinct advantage over Healing Word, especially if it gets the full healing benefits of Healing Word, which suggests that it should provide less healing. Probably the best solution that I can think of would be to provide a flat ability mod increase to heals that gets some bonuses as level increases to provide a similar growth curve to the traditional one (probably +Cha/Wis by default, +2 at 6, +4 at 11, +6 at 16, +8 at 21, +10 at 26, which is exactly what artificer's get our of their healing infusion). Of course, this leaves us with a copy-pasta version of one-half of the artificer's healing power, which gives us commensurate power but lacks the versatility, not to mention that it's still pretty bland. We could probably tie it all together by providing the target with some necrotic resistance (5 + one-half level, so that it scales properly) until EoNT.

Now we move on to the powers. As I said before, necromancers should be primarily ranged rather than melee like the Sentinel because I've always envisioned necromancers as primarily casters, even when they're wielding weapons as implements. This then leads me to ask whether their powers should either be melee/ranged fusion (like the Sorcerer-King Pact Warlock) so that they're "melee or ranged 5" or whether their powers should be pure ranged and be straight up "ranged 10" or "ranged 20". Personally, I'm ambivalent about it since there's advantages to both.

As for daily powers, without getting incredibly involved, I'd probably take a page out of the hexblade's book and have roughly half of the daily powers focus on summoning additional undead (whether it's a horde of minions, a larger creature that acts as a swarm, or a single stronger creature can be left up to the powers themselves) while the other half focus on more traditional leader fare, such as something that deals damage and allows you to heal your allies with the stolen life energy.

We'd still be missing something to make up for the Wilderness Knacks, but that mostly covers it.

[georgie_leech]

We'd still be missing something to make up for the Wilderness Knacks, but that mostly covers it.

Give them Ritual Caster and call it a day? After all, they're going to have either Arcana or Religion trained, and the image of a hooded figure secreted away in some tomb, surround by candles and magic circles, mumbling some arcane chant as they scatter bones or perform rites over a corpse, is somewhat iconic.

[ThePurple]

Give them Ritual Caster and call it a day?

It depends upon how loyal to the Essentials style build we want it to be since the Essentials classes do away with Ritual Caster and instead provide ritual-like benefits at various levels. Sentinel druid provides a Speak with Nature at level 7 (which would probably just be a Speak with Dead for a necromancer), Restore Life at level 8 (which could very easily just be used for a necromancer as well), and Thousand Faces at level 16 (in addition to the normal utility power; I've got no clue what a necromancer would use to replace this or if it's even necessary).

If we're not gonna be totally loyal to Essentials, Ritual Caster is an easy solution that takes care of all of that non-combat utility that a leader needs to bring.

There are also a couple other additional features in addition to the powers, namely generic or encounter power specific improvements at 13, 17, 23, and 27 because the encounter power doesn't really improve on its own, but those are design decisions that would probably be best to bring up while designing the daily powers.

[Tegu8788]

Essentials is easier to build, even if it's just the repeat encounter power. But given its a caster, it would likely be the same either way.

[Yakk]

Continued storming about the soul-bind based necromancer:

Spoiler

Show

So, plan:

Souls can be BOUND or FREE.

Souls can be READY or EXPENDED.

A Free soul can be Ready, and a Bound soul can be Expended.

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Binding gives you static benefits: your at-will resources.

Ready souls give you dynamic benefits: your daily resources.

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Binding a Free Soul typically Expends a soul.

Doing it *fast* also tends to cost Healing Surges.

You get a discount on your Healing Surge cost by using a foe's life energy.

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Necormancers learn Fetishes. A Fetish is a way to Bind a Soul to something.

Fetish: Zombie Rotter
Fetish: Fleshless Warrior
Fetish: Abomination
Fetish: Unquiet Ghosts (minion swarm)
Fetish: Deathblade (weapon)
Fetish: Soularmor (armor, shield)
Fetish: Focus (implement)

Binding a Soul usually takes 1 minute. Doing so as a Standard Action costs 1 healing surge per Soul bound.

A utility power lets you bind souls after reducing a non-minion foe to 0 HP with a discount (0 for minion, 1 for standard creature, 2 for elite, 4 for a solo. Plus, take level+1d4: each time this is less than the creature's level, add another healing surge discount.)

Each of the above Fetish comes with a Daily power attached as well.

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Necromatic encounter hexes take Ready souls and Expend them. I need a name for them.

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Necromancer have a standard action, "Invoke Fetish", that causes all of the Necromancer's Fetishes to do their thing as a combined action.

Such an Invocation generates *one* damage expression per target, regardless of how many Fetishes contribute to it. (this prevents a necromancer with 8 zombie minions from being able to add bonus damage 8 times and break the game)

The Necromancer can add one of the Encounter Hexes as a boost to said Invokation.

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Necromancer damage is in terms of [S], where [S] represents the Necromancer's soul die.

It starts out at a 1d4, and progresses to a 2d6, with an upgrade every 5 levels.

The Necromancer starts with a small number of Souls (say 3), and eventually has 7-9.

Necromancer's don't forget their Fetishes or their Encounter Hexes. They learn new ones as they gain levels.

Possibly the sub-class restricts what Fetishes you can learn, or maybe gives secondary benefits on some Fetishes.

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Subclasses:

Hordemaster (zombies, ghosts, controller)
Deathknight (armor, weapons, self, defender)
Medium (other people's gear, body, leader)
Occultist (focus, hexes, self, striker)

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Giving buffs to a valid target is interesting. Binding souls to people.

Occultist and Deathknight do it to themselves. Or maybe Deathknight does it to their mount?!
Medium does it to other characters.
Hordemaster does it to their horde.

Need a better name for Hordemaster.

[Tegu8788]

This is far away from my original design. I'm loving it.

Instead or Hordemaster, how about Resurrectionist? Not the best, but it ties well to Resurrection men, and that's a concept I like to use.

And having different costs for slow vs fast is something I like. Makes it a bit more complicated, but I like it.