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The dead walk.

The dead walk.

Necromancy, also referred to variously as the "Dark Art"[1] or "the Dark School",[2] was a school of magic whose spells manipulated the energies or power of death, unlife, and the life force that was in all living creatures.[3] Such spells can grant an extra reserve of life force, drain the life energy from another creature, create the undead, or even bring the dead back to life.[4] The necromancy school had no subschools, but had moral divisions: white, black, and grey. A wizard who specialized in the necromantic school was called a necromancer.[5]

No school of magic has been more maligned than that of Necromancy. Often believed to be the school of sadists, the School of Necromancy rather explores the balance between the animating force of life and the destruction of death. As with any magic, necromancy seeks to manipulate natural forces to the desire of its wielder - in this respect, it is no different from Evocation or Transmutation.
— Excerpt from Schools of Magic: Necromancy[6]

Abilities[]

Spells involving the undead made up a large portion of this school, including animate dead and finger of death.[3]

Practitioners[]

Some practitioners were referred to as "white necromancers", individuals that used their powers to heal the living, ensure the dead were properly and permanently interred, and otherwise served to the betterment of society. They were typically found within the clergies of Jergal, Kelemvor, and Chauntea. Most "white necromancers" were publicly unknown due to the deep stereotype spread by "black necromancers" in history, therefore, these "white necromancers" usually have a "cover identity" and a job as a herbalist, gardener, or gravekeeper.[7]

Notable Necromancers[]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

See also: Category:Necromancy spells
See also: Category:Necromancers

References[]

  1. Ed Greenwood et al. (December 1988). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Scott Martin Bowles. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 0-88038-622-3.
  2. Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 25. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 174. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  4. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 203. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  5. Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 57. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  6. Larian Studios (October 2020). Designed by Swen Vincke, et al. Baldur's Gate III. Larian Studios.
  7. Ed Greenwood (2021-05-15). “White necromancers” (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved on 2021-05-16.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Steve Kurtz (1994). Al-Qadim: Cities of Bone. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-56076-847-9.
  9. Steve Kurtz (April 1, 1995). The Complete Book of Necromancers. (TSR, Inc), pp. 108–116, 118. ISBN 0-7869-0106-3.

Connections[]

Schools of Magic
AbjurationConjurationDivinationEnchantmentEvocationIllusionNecromancyTransmutationUniversal
Schools of effect
AirEarthFireWaterDimensionIncantationShadow
Schools of thaumaturgy
ArtificeSongWild magic
Zakharan provinces of magic
FlameSandSeaWindUniversal
Netherese Fields of Mythal
InventiveMentalismVariation
Others
ChronomancyHishnaPlumaPaths of power