Necromancers (CBN)

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: Master P., My Lord,
: M. spotted our unwelcome visitors, and I am writing to report our first confrontation. By the time this message reaches you, I will have raised up more bodies for another attempt. With M. to guide me, I expect no difficulty in locating them again.
: The first battle started auspiciously, exactly as you predicted. K. and I first eliminated their battle mage with lightning and mage bolts, while the zombies lurched towards the massed fighters. (There must be some way of enhancing their speed—they make unwieldy tools in battle!) K. and I hurled more mage bolts and dead-hands at their formation, dropping three warriors.
: But Captain O. had a handglyph—he must have stolen it from B.'s library—and with it he crushed half the bodies in a cone of lightning. That was the turning point. His priestess T.—the same one who caused my current affliction—managed to place a hold on K., so he could no longer reinforce my assaults. While I was still attempting a riposte, she disrupted all of the wardings I had woven with K. to protect us.
: The moment of decision had passed. O. and his remaining warriors dispatched the rest of the bodies, then turned on me. In desperation, I called down the mist of death with your scroll, and though I gladly report it claimed T.'s life, it could not stop them all. My spells exhausted, stripped of my defenses, I drank the potion and withdrew. Although I managed to recover my grimoire and funds, I could not save K., the incompetent. I doubt O. will spare him.
: The battle was not a complete loss, however: M. has confirmed that we eliminated all their spellcasters and four of their warriors. (He brought me T.'s eye as a token!) Only O. and a handful of his party remain. I would like your permission to seek them out once again. With what you left me, I can still raise up more bodies to assist me. I eagerly await your decision.
: Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant,
: S., the Broken
As Sarzec's letter demonstrates, necromancer NPCs can make ideal nemeses for a party of adventurers. In addition to their role as villains—a capacity in which they perform most admirably—they also have the potential to serve as unique and memorable employers, mentors, or allies during the campaign. This chapter explores both the common attributes and diverse professions of these specialist wizards.
One of the main purposes of this book is to facilitate NPC generation for the DM. To this end, we begin by summarizing the general requirements and abilities of wizards specializing in the “Art” of necromancy. (Detractors of this school more commonly refer to necromancy as the “Dark,” “Black,” or “Forbidden Arts.”) After establishing the necromancers' common attributes, we turn to the varied roles of the specialists in the campaign. These diverse professions are encapsulated into separate kits which serve as role-playing aids for the DM and player alike. Finally, we conclude with a few new nonweapon proficiencies appropriate for necromancers.