The necromancer raised a slim hand and clenched it suddenly into a fist. A smile flickered across her face as the unaware guardsmen collapsed in front of her, unconscious on the ground. She shook her hair from her eyes and stepped over him, black eyes unfeeling, taking in the bleak, mountainous surroundings. She raised an eyebrow and closed her eyes, a blank look flitting across her face, before opening them again, the same amusement flickering in her face as she surveyed the prison grounds. A two metre tall gargoyle walked out of the forests and stood respectfully behind her, only the dullness in his eyes betraying his state of undeath.
She set off across the snow-filled courtyard, her shoes stepping lightly on the snow. A guard behind an arrow slit in the building shouted out, but with a flick of her hand he was writhing on the ground, not even screaming with the pain. Another guard came out of a hut near the doorway and started towards them, raising a gun. She closed her eyes. The thrall drew his hands from behind his back as if he were a puppet on invisible strings, revealing a shotgun, and spread the guard out across the snow. The blast was deafening.
The gargoyle and she stood on the threshold of the prison, the way now only guarded by a heavy iron door. She lifted her hands again, calling on the power of mind and body, and drew them back towards her as if ripping at an invisible door. The real door in front of the two buckled and bowed towards them, rattling on its hinges. She grinned again, laughing at the so-called barrier. The woman raised her hands again and reversed the motion, pushing her hands forward. The door spun off its hinges, flying metres down the hallway, dust everywhere. The woman and her thrall’s footsteps echoed in the stone hallway as her quiet laughter rippled off the walls and the snow.

Those few bearers of mystical power of life, death and whatever lies in between, the necromancers have never been common or free in the world. However, in recent times their numbers have swelled, and, comparatively, the discrimination against their art has decreased. They use their undead thralls, their power over pain and death and their own weapons skills to become some of the most deadly and fearsome of the world’s inhabitants.
Good necromancers are not uncommon, though they are generally not as famed as their evil brethren. Some may find it hard to reconcile control over pain and death with a good heart, but in a world of grey morals, this is really no worse than an apparently good and lawful government exterminating those it considers unsuitable to live, in fact, a good deal better.

Adventurers:

The average necromancer’s main cause to adventure is to further her skills and powers, refining and growing as a person and as a necromancer. Many of them, however, also have more physical motivations – riches, revenge, a simple wish to do something – all of these are common. As with battle-mages, necromancers are often forced into adventuring due to their inability to survive in normal society or due to persecution by the government.

Characteristics:

The key feature of the necromancer is her ability to wear down opponents with punishing, painful magical effects, often while holding them off with controlled undead thralls. They are able to use their magic to obfuscate their form and quickly and silently fell opponents, which allows them a secondary ability as stealthy infiltrators. As a necromancer grows in experience, she becomes able to perform ever greater feats of magic and physical proficiency, as well as taking stronger and more thralls.

Alignment:

A necromancer’s path requires some moral flexibility. Those who are lawful good find it impossible to reconcile their actions with the ends they achieve.

Religion:

Good necromancers usually worship Nathaniel, Harajat, Fin or Sum, but on occasion nearly any god or goddess is worshiped. Nonreligious necromancers are uncommon, but certainly not unheard of. Evil necromancers usually worship Xin, Karhn, or a myriad of demon-like beings.

Background:

In much the same way as battle-mages, necromancers begin to manifest magical powers in their teenage years. This causes a similar amount of discontent in the household – often more, as corpses rising and walking around is somehow more horrifying than fireballs or lightning. The government often cracks down on young necromancers of the races they control, executing or using her for research, which usually amounts to the same thing. On the occasion of his survival however, the necromancer is let out into the world, where he learns the ways of his art, usually alone. Vampyres and gargoyles have been known to set up ‘cults’ of necromancers, which learn from each other and these, on occasion, adopt new necromancers, but generally they will work alone. Necromancers share little kinship with other practitioners of their art, though they may compete and share tips, usually only if they find an ulterior reason to do so.

Races:

Necromancers are fairly equally distributed between humans, mutants, gargoyles, vampyres and weres. They are less common amongst Kartika, as the necromancer’s power over pain and death isn’t suited to their culture, but they are not unheard of. Labori necromancers are probably not physically impossible, in the same way as Labori battle-mages, but none of them have ever been heard of. As with battle-mages, many human, mutant and Kartik necromancers are caught and murdered by the government, reducing their numbers.

Other Classes:

Necromancers are often mistrusted amongst the other classes. They tend to be quiet and introverted people in general, which is often mistaken for aloofness, not to mention their powers are intimidating and frightening to others. They themselves dislike the more subtlety-lacking classes, especially warriors, but they will try to work with anyone, and once they begin to work with someone of any other class they can usually earn their trust and respect.

Role:

In a party, necromancers often act in an unusual blend of roles. Depending on their thralls, they will usually contribute a fair bit towards front line combat and defence. Using their magical power, they will act as backup to a gunslinger or battle-mage in doing major damage to enemies. Outside of combat situations, they can make useful scouts and spies, especially with the use of thralls.

Game Rule Information:

Abilities: The two most important abilities for a necromancer are Intelligence, which affords him bonus spells, and extra skill points that make his character more useful all round; and Constitution (Wisdom?), which gives him bonus thralls and gives the necromancer more health. After these, the other Abilities, while useful, take the following places.
Alignment: Any but Lawful Good.
Hit dice: d6
Class skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skills at 1st: (2 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill at other levels: 2 + Int modifier

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort. Save	Ref. Save	Will Save	Special	Spells / day
						Minor	Lesser	Greater	Epic	Thralls
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Mind-guard	4	1			1
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Combat School I	5	2			1
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3		6	3	1		1
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Fear	7	4	2		2
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4		8	5	3		2
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Combat School II	9	6	4		2
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5		10	7	5		3
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6		11	8	6	1	3
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6		12	9	7	2	3
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Mind-guard II	13	10	8	3	4
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7		14	11	9	4	4
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		15	12	10	5	4
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Combat School III	16	13	11	6	5
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9		17	14	12	7	5
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9		18	15	13	8	5
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		19	16	14	9	6
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		20	17	15	10	6
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Combat School IV	21	18	16	11	6
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		22	19	17	12	7
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Mind-guard III	23	20	18	13	8

Class Features:

All of the following are class features of the necromancer
Armour and Weapon Proficiency: A necromancer is proficient with light handguns and non-automatic rifles, light non-exotic mêlée weapons and staffs, thrown weapons and light modern armour.
Mind-guard: Even at 1st level, a necromancer learns to protect his or her mind against the invasions of others. They instil a mental guard which affords them a +2 bonus to all will saves, escalating to +4 at 10th level, then to +8 at 20th level. This mind-guard takes the form of a beast to chase out intruders, and its shape is very personal to the necromancer.
Combat Schools: At 2nd, 6th, 13th and 18th level, a necromancer chooses a school of combat in which to specialise, giving him or her bonuses as follows:

• Master of Puppets: Allows the Necromancer to take an extra thrall at every level, as well as giving the thralls a +2 bonus on all checks.

• Dance of Death: +2 to magical and mêlée damage rolls, +2 to Concentration skill checks and to all Dexterity based skill checks.

At latter levels a necromancer may choose to learn the other style or improve the one he already follows
Fear: At 4th level, a necromancer gains the ability to drive its foes into a wild panic, once per day per four caster levels. This makes up to 5 foes within 10 metres of the player panic and run blindly away from the necromancer. A will save of 10 + caster level negates the fear.