Greetings, seekers of arcane knowledge, as we continue our exploration of the enigmatic School of Necromancy. Today, we venture into the abyssal realm of damage spells, where the manipulation of life force takes a darker turn. Within these incantations, you will find the power to drain, afflict, and smite your adversaries with necrotic energy.
Necromancy, dear scholars, encompasses spells of not only life’s enhancement but also life’s destruction. Damage spells from this school harness the dread forces of decay, disease, and death, unleashing them upon the living. These incantations manifest as bolts of necrotic energy, curses that wither, and plagues that consume.
Within the sinister arsenal of necromantic damage spells, you will discover magic that withers flesh, saps vitality, and consumes the very life force of your foes. These spells are the embodiment of entropy, embracing the inevitable cycle of creation and destruction.
Chill Touch: Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
When this spell was cast, a spectral and skeletal hand would materialize in the vicinity of a chosen creature within reach. The caster would then command this eerie hand to make a ranged spell attack against the chosen creature.
If the skeletal hand’s spectral assault struck true, the unfortunate victim would endure 1d8 necrotic damage, feeling the icy grasp of death itself. But the chill did more than harm; it also prevented the target from regaining lost hit points until the start of the caster’s next turn.
The ghostly hand would stubbornly cling to the afflicted target until that fateful moment, a haunting reminder of the impending dread. And if, by ill fortune or design, the spell was cast upon an undead creature, it would suffer further. The undead would find its own actions hindered, as it would be plagued by disadvantage on any attack rolls it attempted against the caster until the end of the caster’s next turn.
Toll the Dead: Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
In the ancient grimoires, there existed a spell known as ‘Toll the Dead.’ When a wizard invoked this arcane incantation, they would point at a single, unfortunate creature within their sight. As the wizard pointed, a mournful and somber tolling of a bell would fill the air around the chosen victim.
The tolling bell carried with it a sense of impending doom. The creature targeted by this eerie sound was forced to confront its mortality. It had but one recourse: to muster its wisdom.
If the creature succeeded in doing so, it could resist the haunting effects of the tolling bell, avoiding harm. However, if the creature was already wounded, its wounds would be aggravated, causing even more severe necrotic damage. The tolling bell would then exact a toll in the form of 1d8 necrotic damage, or 1d12 if the creature was already injured.
As the caster’s mastery of magic grew, so did the potency of the spell. At higher levels of mastery, the necrotic damage inflicted by the mournful bell toll increased, bringing greater dread to those who encountered it.
Inflict Wounds: 1st-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
With this arcane art, a spellcaster could make a perilous melee spell attack against a nearby creature. When the sorcerer’s touch found its mark, the unfortunate target would suffer a harrowing toll.
The dark magic coursing through the caster’s fingertips would inflict 3d10 necrotic damage upon the struck foe. It was as though the life force itself was being drained away by the dreadful power of the spell.
As a practitioner delved deeper into the mystic arts and honed their spellcasting prowess, they could unleash even more devastation. By channeling their energy through higher-level spell slots, the damage inflicted by ‘Inflict Wounds’ would surge, dealing an additional 1d10 necrotic damage for each level beyond the first.
Ray of Sickness: 1st-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
With this spell, a caster could project a vile beam of sickly, green energy towards a chosen target within range. When the sinister ray struck true, it wrought dreadful affliction.
The caster would make a ranged spell attack, channeling the spell’s power. If their aim proved accurate, the target suffered 2d8 poison damage, and a grim fate awaited. The struck creature was compelled to endure a Constitution saving throw. Should they falter and fail this grim test, they would fall victim to poison, enduring its torment until the end of the caster’s next turn.
But as a spellcaster honed their magical abilities and reached for greater heights, ‘Ray of Sickness’ could be amplified. By expending a higher-level spell slot, the spell’s damage would surge, adding an extra 1d8 poison damage for each level beyond the first, ensuring even greater suffering for its unfortunate victims.
Spirit Shroud: 3rd-level
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Once upon a time, there was a mystical incantation that held the power to beckon forth ethereal spirits of the departed, summoning them to surround the caster for a fleeting time. These spirits, being of another realm, existed beyond the touch of the living, making them both intangible and impervious to harm.
As long as the spell’s magic held sway, any strike delivered by the caster within 10 feet of their presence carried an additional 1d8 damage. This additional harm could manifest as radiant, necrotic, or cold energy, depending on the caster’s choice when invoking the spell. What’s more, any creature that felt the sting of this supernatural force found itself unable to mend its wounds until the dawn of the caster’s next turn.
But that was not the extent of the spell’s influence. Those who came too close to the caster, within a mere 10 feet, felt their movements hindered. Their speed dwindled by 10 feet as long as they remained within this mystic aura, a vexing burden they could not escape.
Yet, as any adept spellcaster knows, with increased mastery over the arcane, greater power can be harnessed. By investing more magical energy, casting ‘Spirit Shroud’ with a 4th-level spell slot or higher, the extra damage grew stronger, adding an additional 1d8 for every two levels beyond the 3rd, promising even more formidable protection and retribution.
Vampiric Touch: 3rd-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
In days of yore, there existed a mystical spell known as ‘Vampiric Touch.’ With but a touch of the caster’s shadow-shrouded hand, they could drain the life force from others to mend their own wounds. The caster would reach out and make a melee spell attack against a nearby creature. If their aim struck true, the unfortunate target would suffer 3d6 necrotic damage, while the caster would siphon away some of that unholy energy to heal themselves, regaining hit points equal to half the amount of necrotic damage inflicted upon their victim.
The magic of this spell lingered, allowing the caster to repeat this malevolent touch on each of their turns as an action until the enchantment’s power waned.
But, as any scholar of magic can tell you, greater mastery leads to greater power. By invoking ‘Vampiric Touch’ using a 4th-level spell slot or higher, the damage inflicted upon the victim increased by 1d6 for each level beyond the 3rd, promising even more sinister damage and more potent healing for the caster.
Blight: 4th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
This ominous spell unleashes the forces of necromancy upon a chosen creature within the caster’s line of sight, a malefic energy that drains both vitality and moisture from its unfortunate victim. The creature, upon which the spell is cast, musters its resilience, attempting a Constitution saving throw. Should its fortitude fail, a maelstrom of dread is unleashed, causing the target to endure 8d8 necrotic damage. However, a successful resistance halves the inflicted harm.
It is vital to note that this dread spell holds no dominion over the undead or constructs, for their essence is impervious to its dark power.
Yet, beware, for ‘Blight’ possesses an even more dire aspect when turned upon plant life. If a plant creature or a magical plant finds itself ensnared by ‘Blight’s’ malevolence, it suffers disadvantage when making the saving throw, and the spell exacts the full extent of its grim potential. Even nonmagical plants, such as trees or shrubs, face certain doom when ensnared in its grip, withering away to their untimely demise.
As with many arcane incantations, greater mastery can unlock more profound devastation. By invoking ‘Blight’ using a 5th-level spell slot or higher, the damage dealt escalates by 1d8 for each level beyond the 4th, promising an even more chilling and destructive effect.
Enervation: 5th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
With this dread spell, a shadowy tendril, like inky darkness itself, extends from the caster’s being to make contact with a chosen creature within their sight. This insidious connection serves to siphon away the life force of the victim.
When ‘Enervation’ is cast, the unfortunate target is compelled to make a hasty Dexterity saving throw. If the target proves nimble enough to evade the spell’s grasp, it still suffers 2d8 necrotic damage, and the magic dissipates. However, should the target falter and fail in its resistance, it endures a much graver fate, bearing the weight of 4d8 necrotic damage.
The relentless hunger of ‘Enervation’ persists until the spell’s conclusion. With each passing moment, the caster can employ their action to inflict an additional 4d8 necrotic damage upon the hapless victim. Yet, this relentless assault is not without its limitations. Should the caster employ their action for any other purpose, if the target escapes beyond the spell’s reach, or if the target finds refuge behind total cover, the spell wanes and loses its hold.
As a malevolent boon, ‘Enervation’ grants the caster a vital boon. For every instance in which the spell inflicts damage upon the target, the caster finds solace in the form of regained hit points, amounting to half the necrotic damage inflicted.
As the arcane practitioner delves deeper into the secrets of the dark arts, ‘Enervation’ can be imbued with even greater potency. When invoked using a 6th-level spell slot or higher, the harm it wreaks increases by an additional 1d8 for each slot level beyond the 5th, ensuring an even more harrowing and bloodthirsty assault.
Negative Energy Flood: 5th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, M (a broken bone and a square of black silk)
Duration: Instantaneous
With this dark sorcery, a practitioner sends forth tendrils of negative energy towards a single creature within their view. The unfortunate target, unless already among the ranks of the undead, must brace themselves and muster their constitution, for a dire fate awaits.
The targeted creature is compelled to make a stout Constitution saving throw. Should their constitution fail them, they shall suffer the dire consequence of 5d12 necrotic damage. But alas, even death may not grant reprieve, for a creature that succumbs to this necrotic onslaught is doomed to a fate far worse. At the start of the caster’s following turn, the lifeless body of the victim shall stir with unholy vigor, reanimating as a relentless zombie, driven solely by instinct.
This undead creation, known as a zombie, is consumed by a singular, primal urge: to pursue and assail the closest creature it can perceive. The eerie, undead puppetry guiding this foul creation can be found within the ancient ‘Monster Manual’.
Now, should the practitioner direct this malevolent spell upon an undead target, a different twist of fate awaits. The undead being, spared from the rigors of a saving throw, shall instead reap the rewards of 5d12 rolled anew. These wicked energies shall be absorbed, granting the undead creature a boon of temporary hit points equal to half the total.
Circle of Death: 6th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S, M (the powder of a crushed black pearl worth at least 500 gp)
Duration: Instantaneous
This one weaves a haunting sphere of malevolent energy, which then ripples outward in a dreadful pulse, encompassing all unfortunate souls within a 60-foot radius from a chosen point. Each being ensnared by this sinister force must prepare themselves, for a dire test of their constitution lies ahead.
As the sphere engulfs them, every creature within its grasp is compelled to muster their inner fortitude and make a steadfast Constitution saving throw. Should their constitution waver, they shall suffer the dire consequence of 8d6 necrotic damage, a most grievous toll indeed. However, for those who stand resolute and succeed in their saving throw, the damage shall be halved, sparing them from the full brunt of this dark magic.
But beware, for this incantation can grow even more potent in the hands of a skilled practitioner. When cast using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the malevolent energies unleashed increase in ferocity, adding an additional 2d6 to the damage for each slot level beyond the 6th. A power not to be trifled with, indeed.
Harm: 6th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantanous
This dread spell allows its caster to unleash a loathsome and vile disease upon a creature, a fate most unfortunate for those who find themselves on the receiving end of this malevolent magic.
As the caster raises their dark incantations, they fixate upon a target within their line of sight. The very air seems to turn foul and heavy as the spell takes form. But, it is not only the appearance that is ominous; it also carries a heavy burden upon the victim’s constitution.
The hapless target musters their inner fortitude and attempts a Constitution saving throw. A success, while far from ideal, will at least halve the harm that awaits. Should they falter and fail, they shall endure the full brunt of the malefic energies, suffering 14d6 necrotic damage. However, the foul magic of ‘Harm’ cannot reduce the target’s hit points to less than one, for it seems fate itself intervenes to preserve the barest spark of life.
Yet, the dread does not end there. Should the victim succumb to the disease, their very essence tainted and consumed, their hit point maximum will be diminished for a duration of one hour. The reduction is equal to the necrotic damage they suffered. Thankfully, there are remedies that can alleviate this curse, such as curative magic or potent elixirs, which restore the victim’s hit points to their full vigor. But until then, they shall bear the mark of ‘Harm’ as a shadow upon their existence.
Finger of Death: 7th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Imagine a hapless creature, ensnared by the caster’s dark intent. The spell courses through the victim, inflicting searing agony that defies description. To withstand such torment, one must muster every ounce of their constitution, for a Constitution saving throw is their only hope. Should they succeed, their suffering is halved, a meager respite in the face of this malevolent magic.
However, should they falter, should they fail to resist, they shall endure the full fury of ‘Finger of Death’. 7d8 plus 30 necrotic damage shall be their torment, a grievous wound that would fell even the hardiest of souls.
But the darkness does not end there, my friends. For ‘Finger of Death’ carries a curse most sinister. Should a humanoid meet their end through the twisted magic of this spell, their fate takes a dreadful turn. At the start of the caster’s next turn, the fallen soul rises from the abyss as an unholy abomination—a zombie, to be precise. Yet, this is no ordinary undead.
This creature becomes a thrall forever bound to the caster’s will. They heed the caster’s spoken commands, striving to fulfill them to the best of their now-twisted abilities. An unending servitude, a reminder of the price paid when one meddles with forces beyond mortal comprehension.
Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting: 8th-level
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S, M (a bit of sponge)
Duration: Instantaneous
Picture a dark sorcerer, their outstretched hand a conduit for malevolent power. With an incantation that reverberates through the air, they conjure a dreadful maelstrom. In a 30-foot realm around them, the very essence of life is drained away, every droplet of moisture sapped.
But fear not, for not all creatures fall under the spell’s sinister grasp. Constructs and the undead, untouched by the ravages of life’s vitality, emerge unscathed. Yet, it is the plants and water elementals that find themselves most vulnerable, their resilience tested.
Now, imagine the plight of those who fail to resist ‘Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting’. A constitution saving throw is their last line of defense. Should they succeed, their suffering is halved, a testament to their inner fortitude. But should they falter, should they fall short, they bear the full brunt of the spell’s malevolence – a daunting 10d8 necrotic damage.
Guidance on Using Damage Spells
When wielding necromantic damage spells, it is essential to approach their use with caution and ethical considerations. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
- Responsibility: Recognize the destructive potential of these spells. Use them judiciously and only when necessary.
- Consequences: Be mindful of the consequences that may arise from wielding necrotic magic. Overuse or reckless casting can lead to unintended outcomes.
- Empathy: Consider the suffering inflicted by necrotic damage. Show empathy for your adversaries and weigh the ethical implications of causing harm.
- Restraint: Exercise restraint and prioritize non-lethal options when dealing with foes. Seek peaceful resolutions whenever possible.
With these principles as your guide, you are prepared to explore the dark realm of necromantic damage spells. Continue to hone your magical talents, using them wisely in your pursuit of knowledge and power.
Walking the shadowed path,
Old Nan
