Verdict
Strong, flavorful and slow at the table if you're not organized. Getting an undead familiar at level 3 means you have a minion from the first session with the subclass. Your DM and party should be fine with minions and with raising the dead; check that before session one.
How it plays
At first you're a Wizard with a skeleton or zombie that can attack in your place, so a turn spent casting a buff isn't a turn without damage. Once you have Animate Dead the horde grows, and your Necromancy spells double as healing for it. From mid levels, Grave Power stops enemies shrugging off your Necrotic damage, and Undead Thralls gives you a free, beefed-up raise each day. Late on, your minions become ammunition: drain them for hit points or let them explode.
Features by level
| Level | Feature | What it does, in short |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Necromancy Savant | Free Necromancy spells for your spellbook: two at first, then one more with each new spell slot level. |
| 3 | Necromancy Spellbook | Your familiar can be a Skeleton or Zombie, and it may attack instead of you. You also gain Necrotic Resistance, and Necromancy spells cast from slots heal undead near you. |
| 6 | Grave Power | Your Necrotic damage cuts through Resistance, and each Arcane Recovery lowers your Exhaustion. |
| 6 | Undead Thralls | Animate Dead is always prepared, with one free, effectively upcast casting per Long Rest. Undead you raise are tougher and hit harder with Necrotic damage. |
| 10 | Harvest Undead | Sacrifice your own minions to heal yourself. |
| 14 | Death's Master | Boost your undead with temporary hit points, and have them detonate in Necrotic energy when they fall to 0. |
Feature names and levels follow two post-release breakdowns of the book (DungeonMister and Brandes Stoddard, September 2026), which agree with each other and with Wizards' preview on what each feature does. We haven't seen the printed text ourselves, so check your copy for exact wording.
Horde planner
Where your minions come from, and what each source costs.
| Source | Available | What you get | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undead Familiar | Level 3 | One Skeleton or Zombie | Your opening minion and a stand-in attacker |
| Animate Dead (spell) | Level 3 slots | Skeletons or Zombies from corpses | Your main horde-builder; recast to keep control |
| Undead Thralls | Once per Long Rest | A free, stronger Animate Dead | More bodies without spending your best slot |
| Summon Undead (spell) | Level 3 slots | One spirit, concentration | A single strong minion for one fight |
| Harvest Undead | Level 10 | Minions become healing | Turns a dying minion into your hit points |
Table tip: roll all your minions' attacks at once with color-matched dice, and keep their stat blocks on one index card. A minion turn should take seconds, not minutes.
Building one
- Ability scores: Intelligence first, Constitution second, Dexterity third.
- Savant picks: Ray of Sickness and False Life early, Vampiric Touch and Animate Dead at level 3 slots, Summon Undead as a one-fight option.
- Cantrips: Toll the Dead and Chill Touch for Necrotic damage that Grave Power will later push through Resistance.
- Feats: Resilient (Constitution) or War Caster; Summon Undead and Vampiric Touch need concentration.
Who should pick it
Pick it if you enjoy running several creatures and your table is comfortable with a dark theme. Skip it if you want short, simple turns, or if a party Paladin or Cleric would object to a pile of zombies following you around.
Corin Ashdown is the pen name of the editor who writes and checks every guide on Vorbelutrioperbir. How we write and check guides.