Advice for a Death Divine Soul Sorcerer

[werescythe]

So I had this idea for a character, a human (though I have also considered maybe having him being an assimar) who is the bastard child of a human and a god of death and as a result he is a Divine Soul Sorcerer who is dedicated to death themed magic.

Morality wise, he believes it is okay to Animate Undead so long as the corpse is that of: a criminal, corrupt individuals, a monster or someone who attempted to harm him or his allies.

Thus I wanted to ask, what would be some good spells/feats to use to fit this theme.

[Exocist]

5e doesn't really have a lot of animation spells:

Gentle Reponse (Ritual) - Don't want those bodies to start stinking, do you?
Animate Dead (duh)
Danse Macarbe
Create Undead
Finger of Death

That's pretty much it.

Divine Soul Sorcerer isn't very good for necromancy though, out of those spells they lack Danse Macarbe and 3 of them (Gentle Repose, Animate Dead & Create Undead) they have to take off the cleric list. Finger of Death is the only native sorcerer spell.

Necromancer Wizard will generally have the best minions (some might say too good), whereas a Necromancer-themed Warlock (I.e. just taking Danse Macarbe) might be a bit more up your alley if you want to immediately force your enemies to fight their own friends after they have been disposed of.

[CTurbo]

Sounds like it could almost completely emulate the Death Cleric

http://mcdt25e.wikidot.com/subclass:death-domain


Ask your DM if he'd be willing to switch out a feature or two for one of these more thematically appropriate for your concept.

[werescythe]

5e doesn't really have a lot of animation spells:

Gentle Reponse (Ritual) - Don't want those bodies to start stinking, do you?
Animate Dead (duh)
Danse Macarbe
Create Undead
Finger of Death

That's pretty much it.

Necromancer Wizard will generally have the best minions (some might say too good), whereas a Necromancer-themed Warlock (I.e. just taking Danse Macarbe) might be a bit more up your alley if you want to immediately force your enemies to fight their own friends after they have been disposed of.

Well, I wasn't wanting to focus entirely on the whole reanimation aspect, I was just merely trying to make it clear that I would be interested in using Animate Dead and how I would roleplay it. Mostly just trying to go for the son of a death god theme.

[Exocist]

Well, I wasn't wanting to focus entirely on the whole reanimation aspect, I was just merely trying to make it clear that I would be interested in using Animate Dead and how I would roleplay it. Mostly just trying to go for the son of a death god theme.

Death Domain Cleric would probably be a better choice than Divine Soul Sorcerer. If you are the son of a death god, most of your spells will probably be necromancies - Sorcerer doesn't really help out that much on the Necromancies, Death Cleric gives you bonuses for using Necromancies.

[MrStabby]

I would recommend a level of death cleric as well. It is worth noting that the ability to take a necromancy cantrip does NOT make it a cleric cantrip or use wisdom as it's casting stat. This means you can take toll the dead from the warlock list, use reaper to twin it and even use sorcerer metamagic on it if you wish. Cleric 1, with a min of 13 wisdom for the multiclass will give you an extra two cleric spells and an extra two domain spells, somewhat alleviating the spell shortage of sorcerer. You will also be picking up proficiency in medium armour and martial weapons. This is important if you want to get close to use spells like spirit guardians.

I am coming round to the divine soul sorcerer being a good basis for a necromancer - at least thematically. With access to the cleric and sorcerer "death" themed spells you are doing pretty well, add in that you may be wanting to sacrifice spells for sorcery points and then your levels where you can't find good death spells are a little less important. Raise Dead, Animate Dead, Spirit Guardians, create undead, circle of death, finger of death... just a shame you miss out on clone and magic jar.

[Exocist]

I am coming round to the divine soul sorcerer being a good basis for a necromancer - at least thematically. With access to the cleric and sorcerer "death" themed spells you are doing pretty well, add in that you may be wanting to sacrifice spells for sorcery points and then your levels where you can't find good death spells are a little less important. Raise Dead, Animate Dead, Spirit Guardians, create undead, circle of death, finger of death... just a shame you miss out on clone and magic jar.

Thematically - yes. Mechanically - no. The only spell you get access to that isn't on the Cleric list and is death themed is Finger of Death (which arguably isn't a great spell, dependent on DM). On top of that, the Sorcerer doesn't really add any extra "oomph" to your Necromancies where the Death Cleric does. Sure, you have metamagic, but out of the listed spells... I guess you could do something like Twin a Raise Dead, but the rest of the Sorcerer kit doesn't really add anything at all.

The Cleric, meanwhile, makes your attack cantrip(s) and necrotic damage more effective.

The Wizard is only if you're in it for the 16 skeleton archers, but OP is not. Therefore, I'd suggest just going with a Death Cleric, who, instead of praying to his god for power is granted power because he has a part of that god.

[Mortis_Elrod]

May want to look into Undying Warlock patron in SCAG. Feasible to combine divine soul and undying for desired effect. dip 1 or 2 levels in death cleric if you really want the channel divinity and the pseudo twinning.

Warlock levels give you some curse like spells and invocations and undead ignore you.

10 in warlock gives you some lichdom-lite and dance macabre. 11 gives you Mystic Arcanum for Soul Cage or something else. 9 level in sorcerer is 9 sorcery points to do shenanigans with and is enough for Raise Dead.

I can see this as a doable NecroSorlock. No Finger of Death but i think that's ok.

[MrStabby]

d
Thematically - yes. Mechanically - no. The only spell you get access to that isn't on the Cleric list and is death themed is Finger of Death (which arguably isn't a great spell, dependent on DM). On top of that, the Sorcerer doesn't really add any extra "oomph" to your Necromancies where the Death Cleric does. Sure, you have metamagic, but out of the listed spells... I guess you could do something like Twin a Raise Dead, but the rest of the Sorcerer kit doesn't really add anything at all.

The Cleric, meanwhile, makes your attack cantrip(s) and necrotic damage more effective.

The Wizard is only if you're in it for the 16 skeleton archers, but OP is not. Therefore, I'd suggest just going with a Death Cleric, who, instead of praying to his god for power is granted power because he has a part of that god.

I think it depends on how tight your theme is. There are some that I think are a simple fit that sorcerers get but a cleric doesn't - sickening radiance comes to mind.

If you broaden the theme just slightly there are other spells that are a good fit: I could see phantasmal force as being tormented by visions of the dead - a real necromanitc feel. Mirror image can be the caster's ancestor spirits. Animated objects and telekinesis are poltergeists.

[Spectrulus]

One of the players in my campaign is doing a Divine Soul Sorcerer focusing on necromancy. The character uses negative energy and fire spells, and has enjoyed having Revivify as well. As DM I whisper praise from his deity for ending lives. Player is having fun using healing word in between offensive spell casts, I would definitely recommend it. Even if it isn't the "most efficient" build.