Goodman Games

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.

Either.

But, if you are using a wizard, include a patron that animates the dead with cool Invoke Patron results and patron spells.

Exactly what I was thinking before I got halfway through the OP.

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.)

Sure...but you can also allow this as a patron spell....and, because a patron spell, without the -2.

"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!"

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.

One could also say that healing is what controls death, by holding it at arm's length.

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...

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.

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.

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.

I just noticed today that the Charm person spell can apply to undead as well. I guess this gives +1 to the Wizard.