Necromancy Talents

As a necromancer gains experience, he learns a number of talents that assist him in manipulating undead and empower his necromancy. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, a necromancer gains one necromancy talent. A necromancer cannot select an individual talent more than once. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a necromancer’s spellcasting ability. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual spell and the decision must be made before the spell is cast.

Table: Necromancy Talents

Necromancy Talent	Prerequisites	Benefits
Animate Dead (Sp)	Necromancer 6	With this talent, the necromancer can cause skeletons and zombies of humes, demihumes, or humanoids to arise with but a mere touch. These mindless undead can serve the necromancer during the same round in which they were animated. This talent functions exactly like the animate dead spell. The necromancer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier.
Armed Undead (Su)	—	When the necromancer summons an undead creature with summon undead spell or his bone commander, he may add an extra 75 lbs of metal equipment, plus an additional 5 lbs per two necromancer levels of a worth of equal to or less than 10 gil per necromancer level, to arm the undead with. Equipment treated as worn (-1 to attack or -1 AC). The items immediately shatter when the undead is destroyed or if the undead is not wielding/wearing them. At 10th level, equipment loses the worn trait. At 15th level, the items gain the masterwork trait. At 20th level, the items gain a +1 enhancement bonus.
Augmented Health (Ex)	—	The necromancer can withstand greater amounts of physical damage than a regular, mortal mage. The necromancer gains +1 hit point per necromancer level (in addition to any bonuses due to high Constitution). In addition, the necromancer gains Die Hard as a bonus feat.
Balanced Undead Summoning (Sp)	—	The necromancer maintains balance by calling on opposing forces when summoning. Whenever he casts a summon undead spell, he can summon two undead creatures from a single list 1 or more levels lower than the level of the spell.
Body Part Grafting (Su)	Necromancer 4	The necromancer gains one of the following chemist discoveries, using his necromancer level as his chemist level: spontaneous healing, tentacle, vestigial arm, or wings. This talent can be taken multiple times, following the same rules as an chemist.
Cadaver Crafter (Su)	Necromancer 8	Mindless undead created by the necromancer's magic are of neutral alignment, while intelligent undead share his alignment. Undead he creates are still affected by holy and shadow energy as normal. In addition, when creating undead, he can perform a special ritual on one corpse to be animated. This ritual takes 8 hours and uses special reagents and materials that cost 25 gil/HD of the creature to be animated and allows him to spend construction points as per an animated object of the creature’s size. He may not apply the following abilities: metal or stone. He may only have one such crafted corpse in existence at a time. (See building and modifying constructs for more information on construction points.)
Chilling Touch (Sp)	—	The necromancer can cause his hands to glow with a blue, flickering aura. This frigid radiance can both drain and paralyze the necromancer's victims. First, any living creature touched by the icy hands suffers the effect of a modified undead touch spell, with a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the necromancer's level + his Charisma modifier). If the victim fails his or her saving throw, the touch causes 2d4 points of damage and (temporarily) drains 1 point of both Strength and Constitution. If the saving throw is successful, though, the victim only loses 1d4 points of damage and just 1 point of Strength. In addition, if the necromancer is at least 16th level, the victim must make a second save or be paralyzed for 3d4 rounds. The necromancer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier.
Concentrate (Ex)	—	The necromancer can reroll any concentration check he has just made with a +4 bonus. He must use this ability after the roll is made, but before the roll’s outcome is determined. The necromancer must take the second roll, even if it is worse. The necromancer can use this ability once per day.
Dampened Healing (Su)	Necromancer 8, Harm Touch class feature	With but a word, the necromancer can sever the flow of positive energy to creatures. As an immediate action after identifying a healing effect (such as cure spell or channel holy energy used to heal), he may attempt to negate the healing of one affected creature by rolling his harm touch dice. The GM compares his result to the healing the creature would have received, and if his result is higher, he negates the healing effect. In addition, as a standard action, he may spend a use of harm touch to reduce the healing received by one enemy within 30 ft. for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier. The enemy subtracts 1d6 from any healing effects used on them. At 12th level and every 4 necromancer levels thereafter (16th and 20th), this increases by an additional 1d6. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + half the necromancer's level + his Charisma modifier) reduces this to just 1 round.
Defile (Su)	Necromancer 6, Harm Touch class feature	The necromancer gains one defile from the dark knight’s 3rd-level defile list. At 12th level, the necromancer gains one defile from the dark knight’s 6th-level defile list. At 18th level, the necromancer gains one defile from the dark knight’s 9th-level defile list. The necromancer uses his necromancer level as his dark knight level.
Devour Essence (Su)	Necromancer 8, Lifetap class feature	When the necromancer drops a living creature within 30 ft. to less than 0 hp, it dies and he gains fast healing equal to his Charisma modifier for a number of rounds equal to his necromancer level. He may use this ability 1/day at 8th level, plus an additional 1/day every 4 necromancer levels thereafter.
Empowered Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Empower Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Extended Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast two spells per day as if it were modified by the Extended Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Fleshcrafter (Su)	Necromancer 10	The necromancer can create flesh golems (or similar golems created from the parts of other creatures) as if he possesses Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magical Arms and Armor, and Craft Construct. He must meet all other construction requirements for the golem as normal.
Fossilization (Ex)	Necromancer 6	Undead created by the necromancer have the earth subtype and Damage Reduction 1/–. This increases to DR 2/– at 12th level.
Hedging Circle (Su)	Necromancer 6, Harm Touch class feature	The necromancer can use one of his uses of harm touch as a standard action to imprison undead within a protective circle (30-ft. radius centered within 30 ft. of him). Neither the creatures nor any spells and effects originating from them can cross the circle. This effect remains for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier but dissipates if he attacks across the barrier.
It Lives! (Su)	Necromancer 8	The necromancer can temporarily bring corpses back to life. As a standard action once per day that provokes attacks of opportunity, he can touch a creature that has died within the last hour and give it new life. The creature is brought back to life for a number of minutes equal to his necromancer level, after which it dies again. During this time, the creature is confused, as the spell confusion, and no magic can alleviate this confusion. However, he may make an opposed Charisma check when he first reanimates the dead creature. If he succeeds, the creature is temporarily not confused, and he can give it simple commands for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier. The confusion returns after this period, and he cannot reassert control. At 12th level and every 4 necromancer levels thereafter (that is, 16th and 20th levels), he may use this ability an additional 1/day.
Life Link (Su)	—	The necromancer forms a close bond with his bone commander. Whenever the bone commander takes enough damage to be destroyed, as a reaction to the damage, the necromancer can sacrifice any number of hit points he has without using an action. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the bone commander.
Mage Training	—	The necromancer may select an item creation or metamagic feat. The necromancer must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums. This talent may be taken more than once. Each time, a different feat must be selected.
Mass Bolster (Su)	Bolster class feature	The necromancer can use his bolster ability to target multiple undead equal to his Charisma modifier.
Miasma (Su)	Plague Bringer necromancy talent	Through the necromancer's study of diseases, he has learned the secrets of how they spread and, more importantly, how to call a disease down on those who have slighted him. As a standard action, he can sicken one creature within 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier (Fort save DC 10 + half of the necromancer's level + his Charisma modifier to negate). This is a disease effect. Each round the target is sickened by this ability, he may take a move action to spread the contagion. By doing so, each enemy adjacent to the original target at the start of its turn is sickened for 1 round (Fort save negates). He may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Quick Bolster (Su)	Bolster class feature	The necromancer can use his bolster ability as a swift action instead.
Reach Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Reach Spell metamagic feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Pestilence (Su)	Necromancer 8, Harm Touch class feature	When the necromancer uses harm touch, he can also use a swift action to cast contagion on his target, if he knows that spell. At 16th level, he can cast greater contagion instead.
Plague Bringer (Ex)	Necromancer 6	The necromancer becomes a beacon of corruption and disease. He does not take any damage or take any penalty from diseases, but can still contract them and spread them to others. He is otherwise immune to their effects.
Power over Undead (Su)	Necromancer 4, Worship Evil Deity, Must be Evil-Aligned	The necromancer receives Command Undead or Turn Undead as a bonus feat. He can channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier, but only to use the selected feat. He can take other feats to add to this ability, such as Extra Channel and Improved Channel, but not feats that alter this ability, such as Elemental Channel and Alignment Channel. The DC to save against these feats is equal to 10 + half the necromancer's level + his Charisma modifier. At 20th level, undead cannot add their channel resistance to the save against this ability.
Resist Death's Touch (Ex)	—	The necromancer gains a bonus to any saving throw versus death effects, negative levels or shadow damage, fear or other spells or spell-like abilities from the school of necromancy equal to half his necromancer level.
Rupture Undead (Su)	Necromancer 4	The necromancer can violently rupture his undead minions in a burst of miasma and shadow energy. As a standard action, he can cause one undead that he controls to burst apart with shadow energy. This causes every creature adjacent to the undead to take 1d6 shadow damage for every two HD the undead minion possessed. Creatures affected receive a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half the necromancer's level + his Charisma modifier) as normal to halve the damage, and they also must make a Fortitude saving throw or else be sickened for 1d4 rounds. This utterly destroys the undead minion.
Sacred Barrier (Su)	Necromancer 6, Harm Touch class feature	The necromancer can use one of his uses of harm touch as a standard action to prevent undead and any spells and effects originating from them from entering the area (10-ft. radius centered on him). This effect remains for a number of rounds equal to concentration (a standard action) plus his Charisma modifier but instantly dissipates if he attacks across the barrier. A successful Will save allows one spell or effect originating from an otherwise prevented undead to enter the protected area. Alternatively, the necromancer can seal the threshold of a room, and for as long as the seal is in place, no undead can enter.
Selective Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Selective Spell metamagic feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Silent Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Silent Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Spell Guard (Su)*	—	Whenever the necromancer casts a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action, he may instead cast it as a full round action. The necromancer channels some of the energy of the spell into a defensive shield around him, giving him a deflection bonus to his AC equal to the level of the spell being cast. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the necromancer’s next turn.
Spell Restraint (Ex)*	—	Whenever the necromancer cast a spell with an area described as a radius, he may decide to make the radius smaller. He may reduce the radius down by any number of 5-foot increments, to a minimum of a 5-foot-radius.
Spell Sage (Ex)	—	When the necromancer attempts a Use Magic Device check to cast a spell from a materia, he gains a +4 competence bonus to the check.
Spiritual Marking (Su)	Life Sight class feature	The necromancer can see any undead that are invisible within range of his life sight, as well as any that are ethereal, as if they were normally visible. Such creatures are visible to him as translucent shapes, allowing him easily to discern the difference between visible, invisible, and ethereal creatures. Additionally, as a standard action, he may mark any invisible or ethereal creature he sees so that others can see it as well. He is limited to 10 rounds per day of being able to mark creatures (no matter the number of creatures), but these rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Still Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Still Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Surecast (Su)	—	The necromancer exercises caution when in danger, casting his spells with more care. While in a threatened square, he may choose to spend a full-round action to cast a spell, with a casting time of standard action or less. Doing so allows him to cast the spell without needing to cast defensively. Prerequisite: The necromancer must have the Combat Casting feat to select this talent.
Undead Familiar (Ex)	Caster Level 2nd. Must be chosen at 2nd level.	The necromancer who selects this talent gains the Familiar feat, but with an undead familiar (using a skeleton or zombie template).
Undead Legion (Ex)	Necromancer 4	The necromancer's meditations on the undead have revealed a ritual that allow him to instill rudimentary tactics into his undead hordes. Pick a teamwork feat. From now on, when he creates/summons undead, the undead come into being with this teamwork feat, even if they are normally mindless. The undead must otherwise meet the prerequisites of the teamwork feat. In addition, his mindless undead learn how to get into position to flank without his command and they gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity from movement. This talent may be taken additional times. Each time it is taken after the first, he can draw from one additional teamwork feat to instill in his undead minions. The undead can still only possess one such teamwork feat. Choosing which teamwork feat to instill is a free action done at time of creation.
Unmending Spirit (Su)	Necromancer 4	Anytime one of the necromancer's ally undead creatures are healed from shadow damage in excess, any excess healing becomes temporary hit points for 1 minute (to a max of its class level or hit dice). These temporary hit points do not stack with any other forms of temporary hit points.

Advanced Necromancy Talents (Ex or Su)

At 12th, and every two levels thereafter, a necromancer learns further talents to assist him in manipulating undead and mastering necromancy. He may choose one of the following advanced necromancy talents in place of a necromancy talent. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a necromancer’s spellcasting ability. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual spell and the decision must be made before the spell is cast.

Table: Advanced Necromancy Talents

Advanced Necromancy Talent	Prerequisites	Benefits
Augment Spell (Ex)*	—	Any spell the necromancer knows that has a variable that increases by caster level which has a maximum, that maximum is increased by the equivalent of one additional caster level. Thus, a necromancer with this talent deals a maximum of 1d6+6 shadow damage with dark, and deals a maximum of 11d6 shadow damage with darkra.
Augment Undead (Ex)	Undead Mastery class feature	Undead creatures the necromancer creates gain a +2 competence bonus to Strength and +2 hit points per Hit Die, which stacks with Undead Mastery.
Burial Rites (Su)	Ability to cast Raise spells	The necromancer may target an undead creature with the Raise, Arise, or Full-Life spells. When an undead creature is targeted in this fashion, they must make a Will save or be instantly destroyed. Additionally, the necromancer may use this effect with any item or ability that emulates or uses one of these spells (such as a scroll or a Phoenix Down). In either case, a successful Will save (DC 10 + Spell Level + Charisma modifier) negates the effect.
Deathless Mastery (Ex)	Augmented Health and Undead Toughness necromancy talents	A necromancer's body becomes so akin with the undead that he becomes immune to all death effects as well as automatically succeeds on any Fortitude save.
Desecration Zone (Su)	Fear Aura class feature	A necromancer’s fear aura is imbued with negative energy, affecting only allied undead creatures (and the necromancer, if also undead). Undead within the necromancer’s aura gain a profane bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws equal to the necromancer’s Charisma modifier.
Fearsome Necromancy (Su)*	—	When the necromancer forces any foe to save against a necromancy spell, he causes the creature to be shaken for 1d4 rounds, regardless of the result of the save. This mind-affecting fear ability does not stack with any other fear effect (it can't make a foe worse than shaken).
Mage Focus (Su)*	—	When the necromancer casts a spell with an area, as a free action he may choose to focus the entire might of the spell on a single target. The spell’s save DC is increased by +2, but only one target is affected by the spell. He may do this a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Master of Atrocities (Su)	Animate Dead spell or Animate Dead necromancy talent	A necromancer with this advanced talent significantly extends his mastery of Animate Dead (spell or talent). He can now raise his victims not only as zombies or skeletons, but as any kind of undead creature, provided the created undead challenge rating would not be higher than half of the necromancer’s caster level and that the animated corpse/soul had in life at least enough HD as the chosen undead creature's base HD. Limit to the maximum HD resurrected per cast still applies and so does the maximum controlled HD limit that is shared among all undead creatures controlled via Animate Dead.
Master of Death (Su)	Necromancer 18	The necromancer is treated as undead in regards to the effect of channeling of dark or light energy. He is immune to negative level effects and gain damage reduction 5 versus either bludgeoning or slashing attacks (chosen when this power is gained).
Maximized Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Maximize Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Necromantic Affinity (Su)	—	The necromancer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist spells and effects that utilize negative energy, cause negative levels, or cause ability damage, ability drain, or ability penalties. In addition, damage caused by shadow damage spells heals him as if he was an undead creature, but he also takes damage from cure spells.
Necromantic Prowess (Ex)	—	A necromancer gains unsurpassed power over death. When he controls undead, casts a necromancy spell, or uses a spell-like ability that mimics a necromancy spell, his effective caster level increases. The bonus is +1 at 12th level, +2 at 16th level, and +3 at 20th level.
Quickened Magic (Su)	—	The necromancer can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Quicken Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell.
Return to Life (Su)	Ability to cast Raise spells	When resurrecting dead creatures, the necromancer doubles the time limit of that spell for how long the creature may have been dead.
Soul Pressure (Su)	Undead Killer advanced necromancy talent	Incorporeal creatures take full damage from the necromancer's spells. In addition, he can add his Charisma modifier to CL checks to bypass SR.
Spell Diligence (Su)*	—	As a swift action, the necromancer may focus all his attention on casting a single spell. Only spells with a casting time of 1 standard action and a range of personal or touch may be cast in this way. The necromancer adds his level to any concentration check made to cast a spell when using spell diligence. The necromancer may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Staff-Like Wand (Ex)	Craft Staff feat	The necromancer’s research has unlocked a new power in conjunction with using a wand. Similar to using a magic staff, he uses his own Charisma score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against spells he casts from a wand, and he can use his caster level when activating the power of a wand if it’s higher than the caster level of the wand.
Transfer Spell (Ex)*	—	The necromancer can cast some spells with a range of “personal” and a target of “you” as if they had a range of “touch” and a target of “1 willing creature.” Only spells that do not increase the target’s attack bonus or armor class and have a duration longer than 1 round may be cast in this way. The necromancer can only use this talent on spells with a spell level no greater than half of the highest level spell the necromancer knows. The necromancer may use this ability a total number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Twincast (Ex)*	—	Once per day, the necromancer may cast two spells as a standard action, but the combined MP cost cannot exceed his caster level. The two spells must have the same casting time and if they have a target, the targets for the spells may be different.
Undead Killer (Su)*	—	Whenever the necromancer casts a spell from the necromancer spell list that deals shadow damage, all undead loses the ability to absorb or become immune to shadow damage for this spell.
Undead Fortitude (Ex)	Augmented Health necromancy talent	The necromancer with this talent uses his Charisma for Fortitude saving throws instead of Constitution.
Undead Health (Ex)	Augmented Health and Undead Fortitude necromancy talents	The necromancer with this talent uses his Charisma for additional hit points instead of Constitution.
Undead Master (Su)	—	When the necromancer casts animate dead or use the Command Undead feat, he is considered to be four levels higher when determining the number of Hit Dice he animates. When he casts command undead, his duration is doubled.
Undead Toughness (Ex)	Augmented Health necromancy talent	A necromancer takes on even more of the qualities of an undead creature. He becomes immune to disease, nonlethal damage, poison and stunning.