Necrolock (Warlock Variant, 3.5) *PEACH*

[Pyrusticia]

In line with Pramxnim's Geomancer, I thought I'd introduce another alternate-source Warlock:

The Necrolock

Traditional warlocks gain their powers from a contract made with a fiendish or diabolical source. The Necrolock's power, on the other hand, comes from a powerful undead (often an ancient lich or similar undead), with a commensurate shift in focus and abilities.

Alignment: Any non-good. The Necrolock's unique invocations (as opposed to those they share with all warlocks) are evil, but the rare neutral necrolock may be found who simply does not use these invocations.
Combat: Rogue
Good Save: Will
Hit Die: d6
Armor: Light
Weapons: Simple, Scythe

Skill Points: 2 + Int
Class Skills
The Necrolock's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentrate (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Undead) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Religion: Those necrolocks who follow any god tend to give honor to those whose spheres include death, such as Wee-jas and Nerul.
Background: Necrolocks are a relatively recent phenomenon, and there are no known necrolocks who inherited their power. As such, all necrolocks must have had close contact with a powerful undead being at some point in their past.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Invocations known

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Negative Blast 1d6, Invocation (Least)|1

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Detect Undead, at will|2

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Negative Blast 2d6, Damage Reduction 1/magic|2

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Rebuke Undead|3

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Negative Blast 3d6 |3

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Invocations (Least or Lesser)|4

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Negative Blast 4d6, Damage Reduction 2/magic|4

8th|

+6/+1

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Chill of the Grave, 1d6|5

9th|

+6/+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Negative Blast 5d6|5

10th|

+7/+2

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

| |6

11th|

+8/+3

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Negative Blast 6d6, Damage Reduction 3/magic, Invocations (Least, Lesser, Greater)|7

12th|

+9/+4

|

+4

|

+4

|

+8

|Corpsecrafter|7

13th|

+9/+4

|

+4

|

+4

|

+8

|Chill of the Grave, 2d6 |8

14th|

+10/+5

|

+4

|

+4

|

+9

| Negative Blast 7d6|8

15th|

+11/+6/+1

|

+5

|

+5

|

+9

|Damage Reduction 4/magic|9

16th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+5

|

+5

|

+10

|Invocations (up to Dark)|10

17th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+5

|

+5

|

+10

|Negative Blast 8d6|10

18th|

+13/+8/+3

|

+6

|

+6

|

+11

|Chill of the Grave, 5d6|11

19th|

+14/+9/+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+11

|Damage Reduction 5/magic|11

20th|

+15/+10/+5

|

+6

|

+6

|

+12

|Negative Blast 9d6|12[/table]

Class Features

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Negative Blast (Sp): As the Warlock ability Eldritch Blast, except that default is Negative Energy instead of Untyped Damage (Complete Arcane, p. 5).

Invocations: As Warlock Invocations.

Rebuke Undead: A Necrolock of at least 4th level may rebuke undead as a cleric of ½ his level.

Chill of the Grave: A Necrolock of at least 8th level may surround their body with a chill aura evocative of the darkness of the grave. This ability is usable 1/day, is activated as a Free Action and lasts for 2 minutes (unless dismissed earlier as a Free Action). Any creature that strikes the Necrolock with a non-reach weapon takes Nd6 Cold damage. This also creates an effect equivalent to a darkness spell centered on the Necrolock for as long as the aura is active.

Corpsecrafter: A Necrolock of 12th level gains Corpsecrafter as a bonus feat. If he already has this feat, he may select any other feat in the Corpsecrafter feat tree. Note that for purposes of a Necrolock (of any level), the Corpsecrafter feats apply to undead raised via invocations.

Necromantic Invocations

A Necrolock uses the standard Warlock Invocation list, with the following exceptions:

Remove from list:

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Least - Entropic Warding
Greater - Devour Magic
Dark - Word of Changing

Add to list:

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Least
Animal Servant
<Invocation (evil), S, 1StdAct, Touch, Instantaneous>
Animates a skeletal animal of one of the following types:
- Dog: Creates a dedicated tracker with the Scent and Track feats.
- Horse: Creates a mount equivalent to a light horse or pony.
- Monkey: Creates a small servitor which performs similar to an Unseen Servant

Some flexibility is permitted in selecting a body to raise. For instance, any horse can be raised into a Horse-type servant, not just light horses, and any small animal with grasping digits may be raised into a Monkey-type servant (including a raccoon or, theoretically, a small child). In any case, the animal servant lasts for 1 hr/lvl, at which time it crumbles into dust. In no event can the animal servant be induced to fight, even to defend itself. A Necrolock may control only one animal servant at a time, although he may dismiss one servant in order to create another.
Effective Spell Level: 1st

Greater
Create Undead
<Invocation (evil), SM, 1 Hour, Close-range>
Transforms a dead body into an Undead. This invocation can only be used at night, and requires a black onyx worth 50gp/HD. Note that the Undead created is not automatically under the Necrolock’s control.

{table=head]Undead|Min Lvl|Undead|Min Lvl
Ghoul|11|Mummy|15
Ghast|12|Mohrg|18[/table]

Effective Spell Level: 6th

Dark
Create Greater Undead
<Invocation (evil), SM, 1 Hour, Close-range>
Transforms a dead body into an Undead. This invocation can only be used at night, and requires a black onyx worth 50gp/HD. Note that the Undead created is not automatically under the Necrolock’s control.

{table=head]Undead|Min Lvl|Undead|Min Lvl
Shadow|15|Spectre|18
Wraith|16|Devourer|20[/table]

Effective Spell Level: 8th

Notes:

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This variant is supposed to be balanced against the Fiendish Flamewreath Warlock from PH2. Due to the nature of their powers, abilities that focus on magic have been changed to ones that focus on the undead, and fire has changed to cold. Specific changes made are as follows:

Eldritch Blast --> Negative Blast
Detect Magic --> Detect Undead
Damage Reduction (cold iron) --> Damage Reduction (magic) (reduced from vampires and liches)
Deceive Item --> Rebuke Undead
Fire Aura --> Cold Aura
Imbue Item --> Corpsecrafter
Invocation changes as listed above.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

No review yet, just need to tell you that you might need to rethink the name.

[DracoDei]

Your greater and dark invocations have the same name.

Also, are ALL the invocations evil, or just the ones you added?

[Pyrusticia]

No review yet, just need to tell you that you might need to rethink the name.

Meh. You're right, that's a problem. Unfortunately, I'm coming up blank for alternate names, other than lame ones like "Warlock, Necromantic Variant".

Maybe we could differentiate them by "Necrolock (base)" and "Necrolock (PrC)", but that's certainly not ideal. Any suggestions?

Your greater and dark invocations have the same name.

Oops. Fixed, thanks.

Also, are ALL the invocations evil, or just the ones you added?

All of their UNIQUE invocations, i.e., the ones I added. I've changed the alignment text to (hopefully) be a little less confusing.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Meh. You're right, that's a problem. Unfortunately, I'm coming up blank for alternate names, other than lame ones like "Warlock, Necromantic Variant".

Maybe we could differentiate them by "Necrolock (base)" and "Necrolock (PrC)", but that's certainly not ideal. Any suggestions?

Nex Veneficus? It's just Latin for 'Death Magician' but it's something.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Conceptually, why is Rebuke Undead at half level? Wouldn't a Necrolock have competent control over undead? Right now the maximum HD you can control is level/4, which irks me.

[cherez]

Nex Veneficus? It's just Latin for 'Death Magician' but it's something.

That would translate a bit closer to "murder by poison" or "murder by sorcery". "Death Magician" would be more like "maleficus necis".

[Pyrusticia]

Conceptually, why is Rebuke Undead at half level? Wouldn't a Necrolock have competent control over undead? Right now the maximum HD you can control is level/4, which irks me.

The half-level wasn't a conceptual decision, it was a mechanical one. I was afraid that giving them full turning would make them too powerful, as well as horn in on the cleric's territory too much. I dunno, do you think a straight exchange of spheres and spells for invocations and 'lock abilities is a fair trade?

*****

On the topic of a new name, we have:

Nex Veneficus - Murder by Sorcery

Maleficus Necis - Death Magician
Todesmagier - Death Magician

Todesmeister - Death Master
Mestre da Morte - Death Master

Votes? Additional suggestions?

[Falconer]

I personally would vote "Nex Veneficus", if only because rather than describing what the character is, it describes what they do. It's like naming the monk class "in need of fixing", or the rogue "good at lots of different things". Plus I find it rolls off the tongue better.

[Pramxnim]

Hi there, I'm afraid I haven't much to add to the class, as it seems a fairly balanced way to alter the Warlock, yet flavourful at the same time.
However, I would like you to remove the link to the Geomancer in the opening post. I'm not satisfied with the way the class turned out, as it didn't capture the 'feel' of a geomancer to me, so I'd like it if people didn't go to the class by mistake and bring it up from the dead (like something your class would do )

Thank you muchly

[arguskos]

Hi there, I'm afraid I haven't much to add to the class, as it seems a fairly balanced way to alter the Warlock, yet flavourful at the same time.
However, I would like you to remove the link to the Geomancer in the opening post. I'm not satisfied with the way the class turned out, as it didn't capture the 'feel' of a geomancer to me, so I'd like it if people didn't go to the class by mistake and bring it up from the dead (like something your class would do )

Thank you muchly

It's not necroposting for another several months, and besides, I like the class you made. I never even noticed it in the main Homebrew queue, but it IS nice looking. Perhaps not as a true "geomancer", but as a really rather interesting nature-y warlock, it's awesome. Don't sell yourself short.

Perhaps reconsider letting it stay up in the first post, just so people can see it?

[Pramxnim]

I'm glad you liked it, but I am currently trying to make a better version using some different mechanics, I think the Warlock invocation style has run its course for me.

You are right, however, arguskos, perhaps I will change that class' name and call it a completely different creation
Then I can concentrate on making a 'real' geomancer!

EDIT: Of course, Pyrustica, please disregard what I said in my earlier post

[arguskos]

I'm glad you liked it, but I am currently trying to make a better version using some different mechanics, I think the Warlock invocation style has run its course for me.

You are right, however, arguskos, perhaps I will change that class' name and call it a completely different creation
Then I can concentrate on making a 'real' geomancer!

And I will watch patiently for it, and comment on it when I see it. Will you permit that class to remain up in the first post though, so others, like myself, can marvel at it's beauty?

[Pyrusticia]

You are right, however, arguskos, perhaps I will change that class' name and call it a completely different creation
Then I can concentrate on making a 'real' geomancer!

EDIT: Of course, Pyrustica, please disregard what I said in my earlier post

Roger that...it'll stay, and if you let me know when you rename it, I'll update the link with the proper name.

I personally would vote "Nex Veneficus", if only because rather than describing what the character is, it describes what they do. It's like naming the monk class "in need of fixing", or the rogue "good at lots of different things". Plus I find it rolls off the tongue better.

Okay, so we've only got one vote so far...I guess most people don't really care about the name.

Some feedback on the turning would be appreciated, though...how does everyone feel about this? Would full turning be overpowered, or not?

And thanks to everyone who's commented so far!