Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh
Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
I have a player interested in playing a Necromancer type of character. I have a hard time recommending between the Wizard and Cleric.
On one hand, the Cleric receives the Animate Dead spell which seems clear to me to be very necromancer-like.
On the other hand, the Wizard gets a title Necromancer (Chaotic alignment at level 5) and their spell Arcane Affinity seems to point to a Necromancer-like specialization.
It seems that either could be played for that control undead type of experience. I'm curious what others thoughts on this are.
On one hand, the Cleric receives the Animate Dead spell which seems clear to me to be very necromancer-like.
On the other hand, the Wizard gets a title Necromancer (Chaotic alignment at level 5) and their spell Arcane Affinity seems to point to a Necromancer-like specialization.
It seems that either could be played for that control undead type of experience. I'm curious what others thoughts on this are.
- Raven_Crowking
- Cold-Hearted Immortal
- Posts: 3159
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 am
- FLGS: The Sword & Board
- Contact:
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
Either.
But, if you are using a wizard, include a patron that animates the dead with cool Invoke Patron results and patron spells.
But, if you are using a wizard, include a patron that animates the dead with cool Invoke Patron results and patron spells.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4127
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
Exactly what I was thinking before I got halfway through the OP.Raven_Crowking wrote:Either.
But, if you are using a wizard, include a patron that animates the dead with cool Invoke Patron results and patron spells.
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
-
- Cold-Blooded Diabolist
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:36 am
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
You could also allow a Wizard desiring to be a necromancer to learn the animate dead spell, as the book already covers a few instances where there is spell overlap (see detect magic) - and if you want it to be a different level of spell, just apply a flat modifier to the Wizard's spell check for that spell so that the numbers balance out properly (example: if you want the Wizard to get it as a spell of one level higher than the Cleric has it as, just have the Wizard roll with a -2 to his spell check.)
- Raven_Crowking
- Cold-Hearted Immortal
- Posts: 3159
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 am
- FLGS: The Sword & Board
- Contact:
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
Sure...but you can also allow this as a patron spell....and, because a patron spell, without the -2.TheNobleDrake wrote:You could also allow a Wizard desiring to be a necromancer to learn the animate dead spell, as the book already covers a few instances where there is spell overlap (see detect magic) - and if you want it to be a different level of spell, just apply a flat modifier to the Wizard's spell check for that spell so that the numbers balance out properly (example: if you want the Wizard to get it as a spell of one level higher than the Cleric has it as, just have the Wizard roll with a -2 to his spell check.)
"Well, I had to sell my soul to Orcus to raise armies of the dead, but, until someone comes along with a chainsaw hand and a boomstick, I'm golden!"
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
- finarvyn
- Cold-Hearted Immortal
- Posts: 2599
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:42 am
- FLGS: Fair Game, Downers Grove IL
- Location: Chicago suburbs
- Contact:
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
I find it interesting that the line between wizard and cleric is so blurred in the DCC RPG. (And with Appendix N literature, actually.) Both classes deal with patron or god beings to obtain their powers. Very similar. I don't see any reason why wizards couldn't heal, for example, and I'm certain if one looks at the literature there will be examples of this.
Necromancy is sort of the opposite of healing, except that the character controls death instead of controlling life. I see no reason why either cleric or wizard couldn't attempt this.
Necromancy is sort of the opposite of healing, except that the character controls death instead of controlling life. I see no reason why either cleric or wizard couldn't attempt this.
Marv / Finarvyn
DCC Minister of Propaganda; Deputized 6/8/11 (over 11 years of SPAM bustin'!)
DCC RPG playtester 2011, DCC Lankhmar trivia contest winner 2015; OD&D player since 1975
"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own."
-- Gary Gygax
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
-- Dave Arneson
"Misinterpreting the rules is a shared memory for many of us"
-- Joseph Goodman
DCC Minister of Propaganda; Deputized 6/8/11 (over 11 years of SPAM bustin'!)
DCC RPG playtester 2011, DCC Lankhmar trivia contest winner 2015; OD&D player since 1975
"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own."
-- Gary Gygax
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
-- Dave Arneson
"Misinterpreting the rules is a shared memory for many of us"
-- Joseph Goodman
- GnomeBoy
- Tyrant Master (Administrator)
- Posts: 4127
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
- FLGS: Bizarro World
- Location: Left Coast, USA
- Contact:
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
One could also say that healing is what controls death, by holding it at arm's length.finarvyn wrote:Necromancy is sort of the opposite of healing, except that the character controls death instead of controlling life. I see no reason why either cleric or wizard couldn't attempt this.
Necromancers then control un-death (to use the phrasing adopted in the rulebook) -- and that may well be off the spectrum of the life/death concept. Un-death/un-dead could be looked at as aberrations or parodies of life, something wholly other, alien, perhaps an alternate reality from our own...
Just spitballing there...
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters
bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
I second the Wizard with a Patron idea. I'm in the middle of toying with a Lich class which will be a prototype for a Necromancer.
My Gaming Blog: The Earthlight Academy
http://earthlightacademy.blogspot.com/
http://earthlightacademy.blogspot.com/
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
One example from appendix N literature would be REH's Xaltotun from 'The Hour of the Dragon'. He would nicely fit the undead necromancer, a parody of life that people have mentioned above.
The line is easily blurred between the spells of a cleric and a wizard.
+1 for the suggestions of a wizard with a patron.
The line is easily blurred between the spells of a cleric and a wizard.
+1 for the suggestions of a wizard with a patron.
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
Heck, Gandalf! He lays on hands. That being said, he isn't actually a wizard . . . .
So maybe not the best example. But he claims to be a wizard and he does heal people.
So maybe not the best example. But he claims to be a wizard and he does heal people.
Re: Necromancer: Wizard or Cleric?
I just noticed today that the Charm person spell can apply to undead as well. I guess this gives +1 to the Wizard.