Necro-Alchemist

“How does one become a self-taught genius? Naturally, it requires brains.” - Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist

Necro-alchemists are scholars that traffic in the study of death. Eschewing both the arcane and the divine, they instead devote their lives to discovering the potential in the flesh and soul of (formerly) living things. While they are almost universally reviled as macabre madmen, the necro-alchemist is an undisputed master of death with unique insights that pierce the veil between this world and the next.

Scholars of the Ether

The necro-alchemist’s power is derived from their understanding of the workings and energy of the soul. While clerics are content to send spirits to rest, the necro-alchemist attempts to capture wandering ghosts and harvest the energy of their existence. Necro-alchemists refer to this energy as Ether, and while they believe it to suffuse all living things, it is most concentrated in spirits.

By devising ingenious ways to contain and channel Ether, necro-alchemists can produce effects comparable to those of arcane or divine spellcasters. However, they draw a very firm line between themselves and mages or clerics; their powers are the products of science and research, and should not be confused with mystical mumbo-jumbo. Practitioners of their arts must spend years in study to realize even the most basic results, and they resent comparisons to magic users that gain their powers with less effort.

Masters of Anatomy

As part of their study of the soul, the necro-alchemist must naturally study its fleshy container, the bodies of living things. By experimenting with reinfusing ether into dead flesh, they are able to achieve a unique form of reanimation that returns an imperfect version of life to a deceased creature. This work is quite often misunderstood by the uninitiated - many necro-alchemists are confused with necromancers, much to their chagrin. This often leads to persecution by the authorities and can subject them to the fury of pitchfork-and-torch wielding mobs.

For this reason, many necro-alchemists carry out their studies in secret. There are few institutions of learning or even published works that teach the principles of their craft, although master necro-alchemists will sometimes take on a promising apprentice. This naturally leads many into the adventuring life, as it allows them to move frequently and procure bodies with little suspicion.

Creating a Necro-Alchemist

When creating your character, consider how they came into the study of ether and how they relate to it. Did they experience the tragic death of a loved one, compelling them to study reanimation? Were they a student who happened to discover a tome of forbidden lore, which led them to conduct secret experiments? Did an elder master teach them the basics of the art? Are they interested in the power afforded by their secrets no matter what it costs, or are they driven by a more benign desire for discovery?

Work with your DM to determine how the world views necro-alchemy. In a high magic or undead-focused setting, it may be that the study of necro-alchemy is permitted or even encouraged. It may also be outlawed, perhaps banned by a fearful public or the ruling church as a kind of blasphemy. Depending on your profession’s place in the world, you may be compelled to ally with or avoid certain factions.

Class Features

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Necro-Alchemist Level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Necro-Alchemist level after 1st

Proficiences

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons

Tools: Alchemist’s Tools, Tinker’s Tools

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence

Skills: Choose 3 from: History, Nature, Investigation, Insight, Medicine, Deception

Class Abilities

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a light crossboow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a poisoner's kit or (b) a herbalist's kit
• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
• Leather armor and any simple weapon

Tool of the Trade

Your knowledge is born of intense study, having spent many hours experimenting with various concoctions, tinctures, and dead creatures. At level 1, you choose to gain proficiency with either the poisoner’s kit or the herbalist’s kit.

Geistcatcher's Rig

Through repeated experimentation, you have learned how to modify a weapon to channel the energies of the ethereal plane. By spending one hour and 50g worth of components, you may modify a weapon that you’re proficient with to deal force damage instead of its normal damage type. This weapon counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. You use your Intelligence modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of attacks using the weapon.

Due to the instability of the components and the difficulty inherent in maintaining the weapon’s link to its planar power source, it is impossible to have more than one weapon modified in this manner at a time. If you modify a second weapon, the first ceases to function.

Soul Collector

At level 2, you achieve a breakthrough in your research. By creating a vessel to contain etheric energy, you may harvest wandering spirits and harness their energy. You gain 2 soul charges, and gain additional charges as you gain levels. You may use charges from your battery to create viscus vitae or geist blasts. You regain all soul charges after a long rest.

Geist Blast

By channeling and releasing the a soul charge a focus, you create a bolt of necrotic lightning that travels in a 100-ft long and 5-ft wide arc from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d6 on a failed saving throw, and half as much on a successful one. The damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th, and 4d6 at 17th.

You may use the focus from your soul battery to channel a dead soul into your blasts. By expending 1 additiojnal charge from your soul battery, you may deal an additional 1d6 damage with your Geist Blast. You may spend up to 4 charges this way on a single Blast.

Viscus Vitae

By preparing a concoction known only to you and other members of your art, you create a noxious compound capable of containing mystical energies. Viscus vitae relies on the energy you collect in your soul battery to give it its charge, and you must expend one soul charge to create a vial of vitae. Raw vitae is toxic, though it may be used in multiple ways: A vial of vitae may be thrown as an improvised weapon. Upon striking a creature or hard surface, the vial shatters and deals 1d4 poison damage. A vial of vitae may be applied to a weapon as a poison. A single vial is enough to poison one bladed or piercing weapon, or up to 3 pieces of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must make a DC 10 Con saving throw or take 1d4 poison damage. Once applied the poison retains potency for 1 minute before drying. A creature that swallows vitae must make a DC 10 Con saving throw or suffer 2d4 damage and be poisoned for ten minutes as it attempts to “expel” the substance - the creature may make subsequent Constitution saving throws each round to end the effect.

Formulate Hypothesis

At 3rd level, your insight and experience with the scientific method give you a limited ability to predict the outcome of your actions. Whenever you make a skill check or attack roll, after the die is rolled but before the outcome is revealed, you may choose to re-roll. If you do, the result of the first roll is ignored, and you must take the second roll. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your intelligence modifier (minimum 1).

Reanimator’s Draught

At 5th level, your research yields unexpected fruit. Through an experiment originally intended to resurrect a dead creature, you have instead created a method to reanimate a recently deceased corpse with etheric energy. Though this does not return the soul to a creature, it does allow the body to move again as it did in life for one minute. At the end of that time the body crumples, its latent energies exhausted, and is once again a lifeless corpse.

The target for this ability must be a large or smaller creature that has died within the past minute, with an intact head and a circulatory system. By spending an action while in touch range, you inject the corpse with a pre-prepared alchemical mixture and apply an etheric shock that restarts the heart and brain. When you do so, the creature regains half its total HP as if it had expended all of its hit dice.

Once the creature is revived, you must make a Charisma check opposed by the revived creature, using your Charisma mod + proficiency bonus. If you succeed, the creature obeys your commands for the duration of the ability. Failure means that the creature enters a berserk rage, attacking the closest creature for the duration of the ability. If the creature’s CR is higher than half your current necro-alchemist level (rounded up), the check is an automatic failure. The target retains its base statistics, skills, and abilities, but may not cast spells.

At 10th level, the efficacy of your treatment increases: you may target any creature that has died within the past hour, and the reanimation lasts for 10 minutes. At 15th level you may target any creature that has died within the past 24 hours, and it lasts for 1 hour.

Tool Expertise

At 6th level, your continued research and experimentation allows you to perform greater feats of scientific prowess. Your proficiency bonus is doubled with the kit you selected as the tool of your trade.

Geist Cannon

At 11th level, you learn to channel your Geist Blasts with additional destructive force. When you make an attack with Geist Blast, you may choose to expend two soul charges to enhance its potency in addition to any other charges you expend. If you do, Geist Blast deals an additional 2d6 force damage, and the area of effect increases to 100 feet long and 15 feet wide.

Insanity or Genius

It is said that the line between insanity and genius is measured only by success - and you are quite often successful. At 13th level, whenever you use your Formulate Hypothesis ability, you may now choose which of the two rolls you will use (advantage).

Lingering Souls

At 17th level, the recently-released souls of defeated enemies prove ample fodder for your continued experimentation. On a short rest, you regain 1d4 soul charges.

Pinnacle of Study

At level 20, your understanding of body and spirit allows you to transcend the limitations of your mortal form. You become an undead creature. You gain immunity to necrotic and poison damage, and you no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe.

Field of Study

At first level, a necro-alchemist must select a field to which they will dedicate themselves and their research. The Skaaberen chooses to focus on the sciences of anatomy and the physical body. The Geistmage chooses to focus on the study of the unseen soul and spirits.

Skaaberen

The Skaaberen is one whose studies of life and death have inexorably drawn them into the mysteries of flesh and living matter, and granted them some mastery over it. Colloquially known and denigrated as a “stitcher”, the Skaaberen takes great pride in creating undead by sewing together the flesh of the recently dead. These creatures, known as skaabs, are more intelligent than conventional zombies or flesh golems. This difference stems from the base materials used in their creation - the Skaaberen uses only the freshest corpses for their art, with the parts preserved by viscus vitae . Once created, a skaab is a blank slate for the creator to train and mold as they see fit, as they remember nothing of their former lives.

Corpus Creare - New Version

At third level, you gain the ability to create an undead servant called a skaab. To create a skaab, a skaaberen must have access to a fresh corpse. While whole corpses may be used to create a skaab, some choose to mix and match only the best parts that they have carefully selected and preserved over many months. Whichever the case, any corpse that is to be turned into a skaab must have no open wounds and an intact head. Once a suitable corpse is located, the skaaberen must complete a ritual totaling 8 hours, during which they must be uninterrupted. At the end of the ritual, the skaaberen infuses the corpse’s veins with a mixture of blood and viscus vitae, and the skaab awakens.

Skaabs feel an instinctual bond with their creators. The Skaaberen is mother and father, teacher and mentor to them, and is critical in helping develop the Skaab’s understanding of the world. A skaab will defend its master to the death, no matter how much abuse or derision a creator might heap on it.

Master and Monster

A skaab is represented by a zombie from the Monster Manual, but has abilities and game statistics determind in part by your level. Your skaab uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, a skaab also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and its damage rolls

Your skaab gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws. For each level you gain after 3rd, your skaab gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your skaab’s abilities can also improve. Your skaab may increase an ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, a skaab can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.

Your skaab shares your alignment, and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The skaaberen who travels with me is my master and creator, for whom I would gladly give my life.”

d6	Trait
1	Helping in my master’s research excites me
2	I use my frightening appearance to my advantage
3	Though I may complain when ordered about, I secretly love to aid my master and friends
4	I want to protect smaller and weaker creatures
5	I return any kindness a hundred fold
6	Being dead, I feel compelled to give others advice about how they should live.

d6	Flaw
1	I retain some memory of how I died, and am fearful of repeating the experience.
2	I am self-conscious of my monstrous appearance.
3	All living creatures are inferior to me… except for the master. Sometimes.
4	My hunger can only be sated by dead flesh
5	I believe all strangers are out to harm my creator and I.
6	Though I may be dead, I long for the love of the living.

When a skaab is destroyed, the Skaaberen may choose to reconstitute the skaab from it’s once-again-lifeless corpse with a few repairs or new parts, or create a new skaab entirely. To do either, they must once again perform the same ritual as when the skaab was first created.

Remote Charging

At 7th level, you install two rods at the base of the skaab’s neck that channel etheric energy directly into the skaab’s nervous system. If you attack your skaab with your Geist Blast ability, you automatically hit the Skaab as the rods draw the geist energy to the creature. The skaab is healed for half the damage you would do with the blast, and on the next round it gains a bonus to its attack rolls and attack damage equal to your intelligence modifier.

Faithful Servant

At 14th level, the Skaaberen’s creations gain the ability to intercede in combat to protect their master. If your skaab is within 15 feet of you when you are targetted by a weapon or spell attack roll, you may use your reaction to have your creation leap to your defense and interpose itself between you and the attack. You may only do this after an attack is rolled but before the result of the attack is announced. The attack is made against the skaab’s defenses, and uses their statistics to determine whether or not the attack hits.

Geistmage

The energy contained in a soul is a potent thing, and when correctly channeled and applied, it can produce incredible effects. Geistmages elevate the study of this energy to a level where they can use geist energy to simulate the effects of arcane spells. The resulting magics are more limited than those available to a studied wizard or cleric, but are nonetheless just as potent.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and chatper 11 for the Wizard spell list.

Cantrips

You learn three cantrips: Chill Touch and two other cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn another wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell slots

The Geistmage Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you ahve to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st level spell magic missle and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast magic missile using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher.

You know three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which must be from the Evocation, Divination, Illusion, or Transmutation schools.

The spells known column of the Geistmage Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level of higher. Each ofo these spells must be an Evocation, Divination, Illusion, or Transmutation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spoell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an Evocation, Divination, Illusion, or Transmutation spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.

Spellcasting Ability.

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through intense study and experimentation. You use your intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your INtelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

You choose your spells from the Wizard spell list, and are limited to the schools of Evocation, Divination, Illusion, and Transmutation.

Geist Summoning

At 3rd level, you gain a greater understanding of spirits and how to bring them forth into the world. You learn the Unseen Servant spell. In addition, by expending a soul charge while casting the spell, the servant is instead replaced by a summoned Shadow (Monster Manual 269). The spirit remains until it drops to 0 hit points, the spell ends, or they are separated from you by 60 feet or more. While resentful for being called into your world, it is bound to you and will not attack you or your companions. Roll initiative for the Shadow, which has its own turns. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to it, it will defend itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.

As you gain experience as a Geistmage, you learn to call different types of spirits. At 5th level, you may instead expend 3 soul charges to summon two Shadows or a Specter. At 9th level, you may expend 7 soul charges to summon two Will O’ Wisps or a Ghost. At 13th level, you may expend 11 soul charges to summon a Wraith.

Geist Snatch

At 7th level, you have learned how to draw out the etheric energy in a creature’s soul at the moment of its death and capture it for later use. Whenever you or a creature you control lands the killing blow on a living creature, you gain 1 soul charge.

Ethereal Jaunt

At 14th level, your attunement to the Ethereal Plane is such that you are capable of entering it at will.

As a reaction, you may step across the boundary between planes and enter the Ethereal Plane, as if affected by the Etherealness spell. You may expend three soul charges to bring a willing creature within 10 feet with you; you may expend additional soul charges to target additional creatures, up to the number of soul charges you currently possess. This effect lasts for 10 rounds or until you end the effect, whichever happens first.

Geistmage Spellcasting

NA Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	3	3	2	-	-	-
4th	3	4	3	-	-	-
5th	3	4	3	-	-	-
6th	3	4	3	-	-	-
7th	3	5	4	2	-	-
8th	3	6	4	2	-	-
9th	3	6	4	2	-	-
10th	4	7	4	3	-	-
11th	4	8	4	3	-	-
12th	4	8	4	3	-	-
13th	4	9	4	3	2	-
14th	4	10	4	3	2	-
15th	4	10	4	3	2	-
16th	4	11	4	3	3	-
17th	4	11	4	3	3	-
18th	4	11	4	3	3	-
19th	4	12	4	3	3	1
20th	4	13	4	3	3	1

Applied Research

Even while adventuring, a necro-alchemist never ceases their studies. Every kobold killed in a cave, every duergar dashed in the dark is a chance for them to observe the workings of flesh and dissect the stuff of being. As you gain levels as a necro-alchemist, you gain insight into the workings of life and death and learn to apply these insights to the everyday.

Altered State

You create a mixture of psychedelic herbs and vitae, which you imbibe to experience intense visions. For 1 hour, you are rendered unconscious as your thoughts are guided by the spirit or soul whose energy you consumed. You may direct the visions you experience, to a degree, by focusing on a tangible creature, place, or location - however, due to the jumbled nature of the images, their meaning is not immediately clear. You must make an Insight check to determine whether you discern the true vision of what you seek from among the flashes you are shown - the DM determines the DC for this check, based on the difficulty of finding the object or location. On a success, you are able to glean the meaning from among the images you’re presented. On a failure, you may learn nothing or draw the wrong conclusion at the DM’s discretion. At the end of the hour, you awake and suffer the normal effects of consuming vitae.

Hysterical Blindness

Any creature hit by Geist Blast must make a Constitution saving throw or become blinded until the start of your next turn. This research may also be applied to spirit bombs.

Cobbled Wings

Prerequisite: Corpus Creare feature, 9th level

Your experimentation has taught you a way to preserve the delicate membranes of wings, and how to give your skaab mastery over their use. The skaab gains a fly speed of 30 ft.

Dead Run

Prerequisite: Corpus Creare feature

By enhancing the flow of vitae to the leg muscles and adding additional sinew, your minions become faster. The skaab gains an additional 20 ft of movement speed. If it travels in a straight line for 10ft and makes an attack, the target must make an Atheltics save or be knocked prone.

Fleshgrafting

Prerequisite: Corpus Creare feature

You may modify your own body with salvaged parts. When you select this discovery, you may choose any Skaab upgrade from among your known Applied Research abilities and apply it to yourself.

Spectral Shepherd

Prerequisite: Geist Summoning feature

You may cast bless once using a Geistmage spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Geist Flame

Your Geistcatcher's Rig now deals d12 fire damage.

Poisons Are Solutions

You may cast Detect Poison and Disease at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.

Macabre Marionette

Prerequisite: Geist Summoning feature

Once per short rest you may concentrate to push a wayward spirit into a corpse, temporarily reanimating it as a zombie. You control the creature until it drops to 0 HP, you lose concentration, or 10 rounds pass. The spirit will attempt to manipulate the creature’s corporeal remains in a poor semblance of life - the limbs flap and twitch erratically as the spirit struggles to control them, and the head and face contort, shiver, and spasm. The sight of such a creature is disturbing to any who see it - living creatures that see the spasmodic corpse must make Wisdom saving throws (DC 10) or become frightened while in its presence. Creatures that fail their saves may make a saving throw on subsequent turns to overcome their fear; those that succeed are immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Moan of the Unhallowed

Any creature hit by Geist blast must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened until the start of your next turn. This research may also be applied to spirit bombs.

Necrobite

Prerequisite: Corpus Creare feature

Through experimentation with the fangs of serpents and poisonous beasts, you learn how to give your skaab an edge in battle. The skaab gains a bite attack. On a successful hit, it deals 1d6 + your proficiency bonus necrotic damage, and the target must make a Constitution save (DC 13). On a failure, the target is poisoned for 1 round.

Patin Ligitus

Prerequisite: Corpus Creare feature

In addition to your normal stitching, you reinforce the skaab’s joints with metal plates. Its base AC becomes 12.

Explosive Apparatus

By enhancing the flammability of a vial of vitae and combining it with a detonator, you create a device capable of dealing damage in an area. During a long or short rest, you may spend a soul charge to create an explosive apparatus. This device is an improvised thrown weapon, with a range of 20/60. On a hit, the device detonates and deals 1d6 acid damage in a 5ft burst. You may expend up to 5 soul charges on a single device; for each charge expended beyond the first, you add an additional 1d6 of damage and increase the area of effect by 5ft. Due to the unstable nature of the mixture, no spirit bomb lasts longer than 24 hours and you may possess only one spirit bomb at a time.

Ghostform

Prerequisite: 15th Level

Your studies of the ether have progressed to the point where you may fold its energies into your being, causing your physical form to exist between this world and the next. You may now move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 5 (1d10) force damage if you end your turn inside an object.

Spirit Bonds

Prerequisite: Geist Summoning feature

Your summoned geists are quite literally bound to you by the magic you use to call them into being. Incorporeal creatures you summon are automatically linked to you via Warding Bond, as the spell; they receive +1 to their AC and Saving Throws, and you take damage equal to the damage they take.

Stretch the Canvas

Prerequisite:Corpus Creare feature, 11th level Your art has progressed to the point where you may begin to work at a grander scale. When you create or modify a skaab, you may make it large size. If large, the skaab becomes stronger; it deals an additional 1d4 on each of its attacks and has advantage on Strength Checks and Strength Saving Throws.

Well-Armed

Prerequisite: Corpus Creare feature, 5th level You stitch additional limbs on to your skaab and synchronize them with the brain, giving the creature more ways to smash opponents. When ordered to attack a target, it may make two attacks with its natural weapons.

Widely Studied

You gain proficiency in the Arcana and Religion skills.

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