Expanded Options: Death and Necromancy (Patreon)

New Spells

Extract Specter

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 2, medium 2, occultist 2, shaman 2, spiritualist 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2;

CASTING

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components: V, S

EFFECT

Range touch

Target one touched corpse

Duration 1 minute/level

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

Your touch extracts a specter from the corpse of a once-living corporeal creature. The created specter must have a number of Hit Dice equal to your caster level or lower, otherwise this spell fails. This specter obeys your commands to the best of its abilities. An individual corpse can only produce a specter once. Should that specter die, it cannot be extracted again. See Specters for more information on specters.

Extract Specter, Greater

School necromancy [evil]; Level cleric/oracle 4, medium 4, occultist 4, shaman 4, spiritualist 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4;

CASTING

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components: V, S, M (an onyx gem worth at least 25 gp per Hit Die of the created specter)

EFFECT

Range touch

Target one touched corpse

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

This spell functions as extract specter, save that the specter you create has no duration. When creating a permanent specter, it counts as an undead creature with twice it's Hit Dice against the number of undead creatures you can control using animate dead (a caster can normally control 4 times their CL in Hit Dice of undead using animate dead).

This created specter remains under your control indefinitely. If you would create additional undead that would put you beyond your controlled Hit Dice cap, you may release specters from your control as if they were undead creatures created through animate dead.

Basic Magic

Death Sphere Talents

Animate Specter

You can reanimate the spirit of an intact corpse that had died within 1 day per caster level, creating a specter under your control (see Specters). Unlike a normal creature you reanimate, a specter may only have a maximum number of hit dice equal to your caster level (rather than twice your caster level) and they count as twice their Hit Dice against the total amount of undead you may have reanimated at once. A specter counts as a reanimated skeleton or zombie for the purposes of determining their duration using the Lingering undead and Permanent Undead talents.

You may use this talent to qualify for the Variant Necromancy feat in place of the Expanded Necromancy talent. In addition to the feats normal effects, it also causes your specters to only count as 1.5 times your caster level in Hit Dice (rather than twice your caster level in Hit Dice).

Despite being an undead creature under your control, specters can not be affected by either the Amalgamate Horror or Corpse Forge advanced talents (or any other similar abilities that allow you to modify the Hit Dice of an undead creature under your control by combining two or more corpses or undead creatures).

Desecrated Terrain
You may spend a spell point as a standard action to desecrate the terrain as a burst within Medium range. This burst has up to a 20 ft radius, + 5 ft per 5 caster levels. Desecrated terrain lasts for 1 minute per caster level. All undead in this area gain a +3 Profane bonus to their Channel Resistance, and a +1 Profane bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. Undead created within an area of desecrated terrain gain +1 HP per Hit Die. Multiple castings of desecrated terrain in a single area do not stack. If your caster level is 10 or higher, you can choose to spend an additional 2 spell points when casting this talent to double the bonuses provided by the desecrated terrain. These bonuses do not stack with those provided by the desecrate spell, or spells or abilities that function similarly.

Spreading Necrosis

When you reanimate a creature you can choose to spend an additional 1 or more spell point to infuse one or more of its natural weapons with necrotic power (1 spell point per infused natural weapon). Whenever the undead kills a living creature with the infused natural weapons, it is reanimated as an undead creature of the same type as the infused undead in 3d6 minutes. If the creature cannot be turned into the same type of undead, it is not reanimated (such as a plant creature being killed by an infused skeleton). This newly risen undead has the same duration as the infused undead’s remaining duration (or is created as an instantaneous effect, if the initial undead was created using the Permanent Undead advanced talent). If you are within Close range of this newly reanimated undead when it rises, you can choose to take command of it by spending 1 spell point as an immediate action. If this newly controlled undead pushes you beyond the Hit Die limit of undead you control, you must choose which creatures cease to be reanimated or are released from your control as normal. If you do not choose to take control of it, or if you are out of range when it rises, it is reanimated as an undead that is not under your control.

This talent can be selected additional times. The second time it is selected, the slain creature is reanimated after 3d6 rounds. If this talent is selected a third time, the creature is reanimated 1 round after it was slain.

Undead Graft

Using your ability to reanimate undead, you can graft undead limbs onto a living target that act under that target’s control. These grafted limbs can be used to replace a targets missing limbs or add additional limbs to the target. The grafted limbs must be donated from a corpse of the same size as the creature you wish to graft the limb to. Grafting takes 1 hour and costs 1 spell point, and destroys the corpse in the process. The creature having the limb grafted to it must either be willing or helpless for the entire casting duration. Grafted limbs have a duration of permanent (and thus can be dispelled) and count against the number of undead you can control at any given time. If you are killed, each undead graft you have created is destroyed. The number of Hit Dice each limb counts as depends on the limb grafted (see below) and the number of Hit Dice of its host. If the host gains Hit Dice after the graft has been applied, the effective Hit Dice of the graft may increase. If this pushes you beyond the number of Hit Dice of undead you control, you must release or destroy undead you can control as normal.  Whenever you choose to release or destroy undead under your control, you can choose to destroy one of these grafted limbs. There is no limit to the number of limbs you may graft to a creature, save for the total number of undead you can control. Undead limbs can be sundered as if they were worn items. They have a number of hit points equal to your casting ability modifier multiplied by the number of Hit Die of the creature they are grafted to, as well as DR appropriate to their type (DR 5/bludgeoning for a skeletal limb, DR5/slashing for a zombie limb). If damaged, the grafted limbs can be healed as if they were an undead creature. Your casting ability modifier for this ability is determined at the time the graft is created. If your casting ability modifier changes after the graft is created, the graft’s hit points do not change.

You can graft the following limbs:

• One arm. This functions as if it were a normal arm, allowing the host to use it to carry items, wield weapons or shields, etc. Once per round per grafted arm, you may draw or stow an item as a free action. Counts as an undead with a number of Hit Dice equal to half the host creatures Hit Dice (rounded down, minimum 1) when determining the number of undead you can control using reanimate.
• Two legs, granting a +2 bonus to CMD vs trip and increasing the host creatures base land speed by 10 feet. Counts as an undead with a number of Hit Dice equal to half the host creatures Hit Dice (rounded down, minimum 1) when determining the number of undead you can control using reanimate.
• Two wings, granting a fly speed of 20 feet (poor). If the host creature already has wings (including wings granted by this talent), this instead increases their fly speed by 10 feet and improves their maneuverability by one step. Counts as an undead with a number of Hit Dice equal to the host creatures Hit Dice when determining the number of undead you can control using reanimate.
• One tail, granting the host creature a +2 bonus to Acrobatics checks made to balance and a secondary tail slap natural attack (1d6 medium, 1d4 small). Counts as an undead with a number of Hit Dice equal to half the host creatures Hit Dice (rounded down, minimum 1) when determining the number of undead you can control using reanimate.

Dominion Talents

Angry Dead (dominion)

Undead you reanimate and control lose their immunity to morale effects when they are within your dominion range. By spending 1 spell point as a standard action, you can cause an undead within this range to fly into a furious rage for one minute, granting them a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls, 2 temporary hit points per Hit Die of the undead, a +2 morale bonus to Will saves, and -2 AC. If the undead has an intelligence score, it cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration while under the effects of this rage.

If you have the Mass Reanimate talent you may pay an additional spell point when you use this talent to affect 1 addition undead creature under your control within range, plus 1 addition undead per 5 caster levels.

Programmed Undead (dominion)

By spending one minute (or more), you can give a single mindless undead under your control that can hear you within your dominion range a series of commands called a program. This program can be as complicated as you wish, but each step must be a simple command that could be completed by a mindless undead. A program can be as simple as raising one arm if it sees a specific action take place, or a particularly complex and multi-step program such as describing a specific route for the undead to travel, and having it deliver a letter to a specific creature at a location you describe. These undead are still mindless and follow your program exactly as you described. It can not improvise upon any programming given to it. Particularly complex programs can be interrupted easily, and in such a case the undead immediately stops what it was doing and waits for a new order, or performs any contingencies you may have instructed it to perform should its programming fail. Describing a particularly complex program to an undead may take more than one minute, at the GM’s discretion. The GM has the final say on whether a program could be feasibly completed by your undead creature.

Reanimated Mage (dominion)

Choose a sphere of magic you possess. Undead you reanimate and control gain the base abilities and benefits of the chosen sphere when they are within your dominion range. The undead use their Charisma as their casting ability modifier and have no spell points. The undead can never gain temporary spell points. They use your caster level with the sphere as their effective caster level (to a maximum effective caster level equal to their Hit Dice). If a mindless undead casts an ability with a duration of concentration, the mindless undead only concentrates on the spell during the turn it casts it. Whenever you rest and recover spell points, you may change the sphere chosen.

You may take this talent multiple times; each time you do, you may grant an additional base sphere of magic you possess.

Relinquish Control (dominion)

When you reanimate an undead creature, you can grant as many creatures as you wish the ability to give the undead creature orders for as long as you control it. At any point, you can change the creatures allowed to give a specific undead that is under your control orders as a standard action. If an undead you control is ordered to attack you or cause you harm, it will ignore the order. Additionally, as an immediate action, you can relinquish your control over any number of undead you have reanimated within your dominion rage, causing them to become wild, uncontrolled undead. They no longer count against the maximum undead you have reanimated and will continue to exist until the duration of reanimate expires.

Ghost Strike Talents

Disfigurement (ghost strike, curse)

You may spend a spell point to make a ghost strike that disfigures your target, dealing 1d6 slashing damage per 2 caster levels to the target (minimum: 1d6). A struck creature gains a permanent disfigurement of your choice from the following list (Fortitude negates). Disfigurements may be removed with the Break Enchantment Life talent, upon your death, by an effect that can remove curses, or by your choice as a free action. Otherwise, this disfigurement cannot be dispelled through normal means.

A creature can be affected by multiple disfigurements, but the effects of identical disfigurements do not stack.

• -2 penalty to one of the target’s ability scores (minimum 1). This disfigurement can be applied multiple times, but each application must target a different ability score.
• -2 penalty to the target’s attack rolls.
• -2 penalty to one of the target’s saving throws (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will). This disfigurement can be applied multiple times, but each application must target a different saving throw.
• One of the target’s forms of movement speed is reduced by 5 feet plus 5 feet per 10 caster levels, to a minimum of 5 feet of movement speed. This disfigurement can be applied multiple times, but each application must target a different form of movement.
• Starting attitude towards the target by creatures of the same type as it are reduced by 1 step, (Helpful reduced to Friendly, Friendly reduced to Indifferent, Indifferent reduced to Unfriendly, Unfriendly reduced to Hostile) and the diplomacy DC to increase reputation with those creatures is increased by 5.

Frightful Strike (ghost strike, fear)

You may make a ghost strike that causes a target to be shaken for 1 round per caster level (Will negates). On a successful save, the target is still shaken for 1 round. If a target who is shaken or frightened by this talent fails a saving throw against it again, you may spend a spell point to worsen their fear by one step (shaken to frightened to panicked) and the duration of the condition is extended to the duration of the most recently cast Frightful Strike. If a creature who is panicked from this ghost strike fails another save against it, you may spend a spell point to cause the target to immediately drop to -1 hit points and begin dying.

Conditions inflicted by this ghost strike do not stack with other instances of shaken or frightened to make an affected creature frightened or panicked.

Grasping Phantasms (ghost strike)

You may make a ghost strike that causes phantasmal hands to grasp at the target, pulling them from place to place at your whim. Once during each of your turns for the next minute, you can force the struck target to make a Fortitude save to resist being pulled 5 feet plus 5 feet per 5 caster levels in a direction of your choice. The target receives a +5 bonus to their Fortitude check if this movement would place them into dangerous terrain, such as by moving them off a cliff, into the air if they can’t fly, into flames, or into a trap they know of. This forced movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If you spend a spell point when attempting to pull the target, the target does not receive a saving throw against the effect and the ghost strike ends against that target after it is pulled. A single target can only be affected by one instance of Grasping Phantasms at a time.

Healing Leech (ghost strike)

By spending 1 spell point you may make a ghost strike that causes you to leech half of any healing applied to the target for 1 round plus 1 round per two caster levels (Fortitude negates). Whenever the target benefits from any healing while you are within Medium range (whether it be magical healing, or from fast healing or regeneration) the target only receives half the healing (rounded down) and you receive the other half (rounded up).

Specters

Specters are malevolent spirits of the dead drawn forth by corpses by a talented necromancy. Unlike a true ghost, a specter is entirely mindless and composed of a substance known as ectoplasm, giving them a semi-corporeal form that can be harmed by mundane objects.

Specter (CR +0)

A translucent, vaguely-humanoid shaped mass of ghostly energy floats in the air in the room ahead. As it notices you, it lets out a pained whine and charges in your direction.

Creating a Specter

This template can be applied to any living corporeal creature that has a Charisma score, referred to hereafter as the base creature.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature.

Alignment: Always neutral evil.

Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. It retains any subtype except for alignment subtypes (such as good) and subtypes that indicate kind. It gains the incorporeal subtype.

Armor Class: The specter loses any natural armor bonus to AC it possessed in life. It instead gains a Deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma modifier, plus an additional point of Deflection AC per 4 Hit Dice it possesses. If the specter could wear armor or use shields in life, it can wear ghost touch armor or wield ghost touch shields.

Hit Dice: Drop HD gained from class levels, change racial HD to d8s, gain a number of d8 racial HD equal to class levels lost. Specters use their Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).

Saves: Base save bonuses are Fort +1/3 HD, Ref +1/3 HD, and Will +1/2 HD + 2.

Defensive Abilities: A specter retains none of the base creature’s defensive abilities. It gains all of the qualities and immunities granted by the undead type. Specters also gain the spectral incorporality ability.

Spectral Incorporality (Su)

The specter is an incorporeal creature, gaining the normal benefits and immunities associated with the special quality, however, their semi-physical nature allows them to be struck by non-magical forms of attack (though those attacks still deal 50% damage to the specter).

Speed: Specters lose their previous speeds and gain a fly speed of 30 feet (perfect), unless the base creature has a higher fly speed. In such a case, it uses that creature's fly speed with (perfect) maneuverability.

Melee and Ranged Attacks: A specter loses all of the base creature’s attacks. If it could wield weapons in life, it can wield ghost touch weapons.

Special Attacks: A specter retains none of the base creature’s special attacks. It gains the Deadly Touch special attack

Deadly Touch (Su)

The specter has a deadly touch attack that it can make as a standard action. On a successful hit, this touch attack deals 1d6 damage, plus an additional 1d6 damage per two Hit Dice of the specter. This damage is untyped and is not reduced by resistances or immunities.

Abilities: Dex +2; as a mindless incorporeal undead creature, a specter has no Str, Con, or Int score, and its Wis and Cha become 16.

BAB: A specter’s base attack is equal to 3/4 its Hit Dice.

Skills: A specter loses all of its skill ranks. Specters have a +8 racial bonus on Stealth checks due to their translucent bodies.

Feats: A specter loses all feats possessed by the base creature, and does not gain feats as its Hit Dice increase, but it does gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.

Variant Skeletons and Zombies

The following variant skeletons and zombies are available to be created using the Expanded Necromancy talent, or by using the animate dead spell.

Bone Swarm

A swarming mass of bones animated by necrotic energies, its only purpose is to throw itself against its foes and grind them to a bloody, shredded mess.

Creating a Bone Swarm

A bone swarm skeleton may only be created from the corpse of a large or larger creature.

In addition to the changes for the skeleton template, make the following adjustments to the base creature:

Challenge Rating: As a normal skeleton +1.

Size: The bone swarm is a tiny creature. The base creatures size modifier to AC, Attack, CMB, CMD, Fly, and Stealth skills are replaced by the size modifier for a tiny creature (see below).

Type: The bone swarm gains the swarm subtype.

Armor Class: A bone swarm is treated as a tiny skeleton when determining how much Natural Armor Bonus it gains from the Skeleton template.A bone swarm cannot use equipment and does not benefit from armor or shields.

Attacks: The bone swarm loses any melee or ranged attacks the creature had. It cannot use manufactured weapons. It instead gains a swarm attack that deals damage as presented in the chart below, plus its Strength modifier.

Space and Reach: A bone swarm occupies a square 10 feet on each side. Its reach is 0 feet. A bone swarm does not threaten creatures in its square and cannot make attacks of opportunity.

Special Attacks: The bone swarm gains the distraction universal monster ability.

Distraction (Ex)

Any creature the bone swarm damages with its swarm attack must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ the bone swarm’s Hit Dice + the bone swarm’s Charisma modifier) or become nauseated for 1 round.

Disemboweled Zombie

A horrid stench follows this shambling corpse, its entrails hanging from its torn stomach. Intestines twitch and thrash towards you like snakes lurching forth from the cavity that once held the corpses' guts.

Creating a Disemboweled

In addition to the changes for the zombie template, make the following adjustments to the base creature:

Challenge Rating: As a normal zombie +1.

Attacks: A disemboweled gains a primary tentacle attack with the grab property that deals damage based on the disemboweled’s size, but as if it were two size categories larger than its actual size. (1d8 medium, 2d6 large, 3d6 huge, 4d6 gargantuan, 6d6 colossal.) The disemboweled has its natural reach increased by 15 feet when using its tentacle attack, and gains a +4 racial bonus to CMB to grapple checks made using this tentacle.

Special Attacks: The disemboweled gains the constrict special attack, allowing it to deal it's tentacle damage when it succeeds on a grapple check (in addition to any other effects caused by a successful check, including additional damage).

Hollow One

What appears to be a mass of hollowed-out, rotten skin crawls along the ground towards you. As it nears it unfurls, attempting to wrap you in its oozing folds.

Creating a Hollow One

In addition to the changes for the zombie template, make the following adjustments to the base creature:

Defensive Abilities: The hollow one does not gain DR 5/slashing, and gains a +4 racial bonus to CMD against grapple checks.

Special Attacks: The hollow one gains the engulf special attack, allowing it to move up to its speed and attempt to engulf creatures in its path as a standard action. The hollow one merely needs to move over its opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Targeted creatures can make attacks of opportunity against the hollow one, but if they do so, they are not entitled to a saving throw against the engulf attack. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity can attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the hollow one’s Hit Dice + the hollow one’s Dexterity Bonus) to avoid being engulfed—on a success, they are pushed back or aside (target’s choice) as the hollow one moves forward. Engulfed opponents gain the pinned condition, are in danger of suffocating, are trapped within the hollow one’s body until they are no longer pinned, and are automatically subject to the slam attack of the hollow one at the beginning of each of their turns they remain engulfed. A hollow one can choose not to damage those it has engulfed if it is being commanded by an intelligent creature. A creature can attempt to break free using the escape artist skill or by making a grapple check against the hollow one.

A hollow one can only have a certain number of creatures engulfed at any one time based on its size. It can have a single creature of its own size engulfed, or two creatures of 1 size category smaller, 4 creatures of two size categories smaller, and so forth.

Abilities: Rather than the abilities of a standard zombie, a hollow one gains +2 Dex, -2 Str. A hollow one has no Con or Int score, its Wis becomes 10 and its Cha becomes 12.

Special Qualities: A hollow one gains the hollowed attire special quality.

Hollowed Attire (Ex)

A hollow one can be worn by a creature of its size or up to one size category smaller than it. When worn, it ceases to act as a creature of its own. Instead, half of the damage (rounded up) the wearer takes is dealt to the hollow one instead. The hollow one’s damage reduction, damage resistance, or hardness (if any) applies to any damage it takes. A creature who is adjacent to and controlling the hollow one may don it as a full-round action, and remove it as a swift action. If the hollow one is destroyed while worn by a creature, that creature is staggered until they spend a standard action removing the hollow one's corpse.

While worn, the creature gains an armor bonus to AC equal to the hollow one’s natural armor bonus. They do not gain the base armor bonus of any armor they wear while wearing a hollow one, but do benefit from their armor’s special abilities or enhancement bonuses. The wearer is treated as if they were the hollow one’s size for all purposes, gaining all of the size bonuses and penalties for increasing their size if applicable (see the table below), a +4 bonus to its Strength, a -2 penalty to its Dexterity (minimum 1), and uses the hollow one’s natural reach in place of their own when making attacks. The creature wearing the hollow one may use the hollow one’s natural attacks using their own statistics, and may wield weapons they are proficient with (of the hollow one’s size) if the hollow one has the limbs required to do so. The wearer cannot use any of their own weapons, natural attacks, or unarmed strikes while inside of a hollow one.

The wearer cannot use the hollow one’s engulf ability while wearing it, and if the hollow one has any creatures engulfed when it is donned those creatures are harmlessly ejected into adjacent squares of their choice.

Rotten Skeleton

A skeleton draped in tattered, rotten flesh sprints towards you. Flesh-hued tendons remain attached to its bones, giving it strength and agility that surpasses others of its kind.

Creating a Rotten Skeleton

A rotten skeleton can only be created from a corpse that still possesses its flesh and tendons.

In addition to the changes for the skeleton template, make the following adjustments to the base creature:

Challenge Rating: As a normal skeleton +1.

Armor Class: A rotten skeleton increases its Natural armor bonus granted by the skeleton template by +2.

Speed: A rotten skeleton can use its wings to fly, but its maneuverability drops to clumsy.

Abilities: A rotten skeleton increases its Strength and Dexterity by +2.

Special Qualities: A rotten skeleton gains the rotten armor special quality.

Rotten Armor (Ex)

When the rotten skeleton is created, it gains 3 temporary Hit Points per Hit Die. As long as it possesses temporary Hit Points granted by this ability, it has DR 5/Slashing instead of DR 5/Bludgeoning. These temporary Hit Points can be restored to their maximum if a spellcaster uses the Corpse Manipulation talent on the rotten skeleton and spends 1 spell point, or by casting the restore corpse spell on it.