Necromantic Burden
NecromancyNecromancy spells manipulate the power of death, unlife, and the life force. Spells involving undead creatures make up a large part of this school.
PFS Legal
Available to
- Casting Time
- 1 roundMost spells take 1 standard action; others list 1 round, 1 minute, or more, or use a swift or immediate action.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Components
- V, S, M/DF (a handful of knucklebones)V (Verbal): A spoken incantation; you must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence effect or a gag spoils it, and being deafened risks failure.S (Somatic): A precise movement of the hand; you must have at least one hand free to perform it.M (Material): One or more physical substances consumed by the casting. Cost is negligible — covered by your spell component pouch — unless a gp value is listed.DF (Divine Focus): An item of spiritual significance — e.g. a holy symbol appropriate to your faith, or a druid's or ranger's sprig of holly.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Range
- close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)How far the spell reaches. Close = 25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels; Medium = 100 ft + 10 ft/level; Long = 400 ft + 40 ft/level. Personal = yourself; Touch = a creature or object you touch.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Target
- one undead creatureHow the spell is aimed: a Target (specific creatures or objects), an Effect it creates (e.g. a wall or a summoned creature), or an Area shape (burst, cone, line, and so on). Some areas are shapeable. "Target or Area" means the spell uses either, at your choice.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Duration
- 1 hour/levelHow long it lasts. Instantaneous resolves at once; Concentration lasts while you keep focusing; Permanent lasts until dispelled. A trailing "(D)" means you can dismiss it as a standard action.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Saving Throw
- Will negatesIf a save is allowed, the target rolls Fortitude, Reflex, or Will: the result negates, gives partial, half, or no effect. "harmless" lets a willing target decline. Save DC = 10 + spell level + your casting ability modifier.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Spell Resistance
- yesWhether a creature's spell resistance can block the spell (Yes/No). For "harmless" spells a willing creature may lower its SR to be affected.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
You make an undead creature more difficult for necromancers and clerics to control via effects such as Command Undead or control undead. If the target fails its Will save, the target’s effective number of Hit Dice is doubled for the purposes of determining whether it remains under the control of another creature. Regardless of the target’s actual Hit Dice, its effective HD cannot exceed twice your caster level. (For example, a 12th-level cleric could cast this spell to cause an undead creature with 15 HD to instead effectively have 24 HD for the purpose of controlling it.)
If the targeted undead is under the control of another creature and this spell causes the target’s effective Hit Dice to exceed the controller’s maximum capability, the target creature is immediately freed from control. Any creature capable of controlling undead may attempt to control the target, provided the target’s effective HD won’t cause the would-be controller to exceed its HD limit. The target’s former controller can attempt to regain control over the target by relinquishing command over other creatures until its HD limit is no longer exceeded (or the former controller can wait until the spell’s duration expires to attempt this at the target’s normal HD).
If the targeted undead is under the control of another creature and this spell causes the target’s effective Hit Dice to exceed the controller’s maximum capability, the target creature is immediately freed from control. Any creature capable of controlling undead may attempt to control the target, provided the target’s effective HD won’t cause the would-be controller to exceed its HD limit. The target’s former controller can attempt to regain control over the target by relinquishing command over other creatures until its HD limit is no longer exceeded (or the former controller can wait until the spell’s duration expires to attempt this at the target’s normal HD).