Do you like necromancy? Do you wish necromancy wasn’t seen as an evil school of magic? Well, you and Errol Grimm have a little in common! Erol the Zombie has discovered a number of new necromantic spells and would like to share his discoveries with you in Necromancy Can be Good, currently available at the DM Guild.
The premise of this supplement is that schools of necromancy are not inherently evil schools of magic. There are many long-forgotten spells and applications of necromancy that prove otherwise.
I don’t usually write three articles in a week, but when I received a copy of Necromancy Can Be Good from Willy Abeel, author of The Book of House, I had to try harder and make it easier. I thought. Take advantage of this excellent supplement.
In addition to Willie. Leon Barillaro, Steve Barret, and Max Churak were also designers on Necromancy Can Be Good! Chelsea Livingston (and Willie) also provided the artwork and illustrations for this supplement.
What does Necromancy Can Be Good include?
Necromancy Can Be Good includes 21 new necromancy spells to add to your D&D 5e game, fun lore about great necromancy, new creatures, and a new player option to temporarily bring your character back to life. What a bargain for all of this for $1.99!
The supplement also includes a spell list table that shows which classes have access to which spells in the spell list. Naturally, the wizard is king here, but I would say that the spells are a very healthy mix. Each spell level has at least one spell. Contains two cantrips.
Lore of Necromancy; Good People!
I’ll admit that good necromancy seems a bit of a stretch, especially considering how it’s commonly used in D&D. But this 11-page appendix includes an entire page of necromantic lore, explaining what necromancy is and how it became the “evil” school of magic that we all know today. It explains what necromancy has lost.
Even people who aren’t usually interested in folklore can enjoy reading it. Also, it’s only one page, so it won’t kill you to read it. But don’t worry if that happens. You can also be revived with necromancy like Erol :)!
The margins of Errol’s spellbook are filled with notes containing detailed information about good necromancy and thoughts on specific spells.
The Spells: Necromancer’s Playground
The design team did a great job with these spells. They all touch on unique concepts not included in published book necromancy, and in my opinion they are all well-rounded.
There are spells that can restore lost limbs, allow you to visit deceased loved ones for a short period of time, or temporarily reverse the aging process. Other schools of magic may be able to accomplish similar feats, but they do not do it in exactly the same way as necromancy.
From a design standpoint, I like that the team made sure there was at least one spell for every playstyle. We’re sure everyone will be able to find a favorite spell or two in Necromancy Can Be Good, as it has at least something to offer: damage-dealing, role-playing, practicality, and more.
my personal favorite
My martial arts character builds represent my love for playing hardcore damage dealers, but my preference when playing spellcasters is to be more of a support/utility character. I swear this is true. Check out my Sorcerer build for proof!
With that in mind, my favorite part of Necromancy Can Be Good is the spell “Heart Link,” which is accessible to everyone except druids, rangers, and sorcerers. This spell allows you to pool the hit points of two separate creatures. These creatures are linked together and take a small amount of necrotic damage each turn unless they stay within 30 feet of each other.
Sure, I can see how this could be useful for area attacks or cutting down a couple of tough creatures. However, heart links also have some potentially beneficial properties. Therefore, Heart Link can be used as a buff or debuff depending on the situation. That’s a very nice spell.
Another of my favorites is Death of the Author, a 9th level spell that allows you to permanently rewrite the properties of a magical item. The components of this powerful and very authentic spell are “magic items and strong opinions” and it’s just amazing.
Extras: Echo race rules and unforgettable stat blocks!
The appendix also includes a creature stat block for the Hauntling from Call Hauntling and some perks: a racial modifier called echo.
Hauntlings are CR 1/8 creatures that can be summoned to perform some minor actions on magic users. They’re cute, have tons of damage resistance and immunity, and can possess beasts once per day. What’s not to love?
Echo Racial Modifier is designed specifically for those who wish to participate in the campaign as a guest for some sessions. It includes some fun features and some ability score adjustments, but is well suited for that use case.
Final thoughts on necromancy can be good
In fact, Necromancy Can Be Good is so good that it’s 100% worth the $1.99 at DM Guild. It comes with tons of new options to spice up your favorite class’s spell list, essentially creating a whole new way to play your Necromancer.
This is another character option for Willy that I can’t wait to get a chance to play. Realistically, we want players to play.
